Regional News of Saturday, 11 April 2015

Source: GNA

Fishermen demand Forensic Audit into accounts of Premix Committee members

The Central Regional Fishermen and Fishmongers Association (CEFFA), has said members of the dissolved premix and landing beach committees must not be made to go scot-free.

To this end, the Association has called for a forensic audit into their respective accounts.

According to CEFFA, the members served the interest of the nation, and are therefore entitled to render accounts of their actions and inactions to the people they served.

Mr Felix Kofi Adams, Chairman of the Association who spoke at a press conference on Thursday at Elmina said there were some members of the premix committee who had not rendered any account to any one for almost three years now, adding, ”they must not be allowed to walk about freely without being audited.”

He alleged that some members of the former premix committee were lobbying fervently with fish and money to get the nod to serve on the committee again, and appealed to the president not to include any old member of the premix committee in the new one to be reconstituted

He further indicated that the fishermen who demonstrated in Accra and demanded the removal of the Fisheries Minister were not proper fishermen.

He said the Regional Minister met with all the chief fishermen and informed them about the recent happenings leading to the dissolution of the National Premix and Landing Beach Committees.

The fishermen therefore, appealed to the President to make the regional ministers and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives the interim managers of the Committee, to fill the vacuum and ensure that supply of the fuel was not interrupted..

They however, commended the President and the Fisheries Minister, for dissolving the Premix and Landing Beach Committees.