Business News of Sunday, 16 July 2017

Source: GNA

NPA must clamp down on contaminated fuel dealers – MP

Ernest Henry Norgbey, Ashaiman MP Ernest Henry Norgbey, Ashaiman MP

Mr Ernest Henry Norgbey, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashaiman has called on the security agencies especially the Police to clamp down on contaminated fuel dealers in the area.

He said the activities of these fuel dealers was a threat to national security and the community in which they live.

Mr Norgbey made the call when he spoke to the media at Parliament on an incident in his constituency where two persons were killed when they tried putting a contaminated fuel into a motorbike.

He said the victims of the contaminated fuel fire who were okada riders dealing in adulterated fuel died from their burns and while a number of people were on admission receiving treatment.

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) confirmed that the two companies alleged to have purchased the more than 5 million litres of contaminated fuel under suspicious circumstances from the BOST Company were not licensed.

The Ministry of Energy setup an eight-member ministerial Committee to investigate the case.

The MP said although the recent issue about contaminated fuel had died down the products were still in the system.

He said people had hoarded it and were now trying to sell them on table-top as far as in Wa, Bolgatanga and Tamale.

Mr Norgbey warned that if care was not taken the problem could escalate in Ashaiman and cause more difficulties in other parts of the country.

He called on the NPA and Environmental Protection Agency to collaborate to clamp down on the contaminated fuel dealers.

He said Ashaiman was a densely populated area and if people hoard such products in their rooms and selling them, it posed a great danger to their neighbours.

“Some people in Ashaiman now cannot sleep because they are scared because of what their neighbours are dealing in could catch fire and they will be affected,” he added.

Mr Norgbey said the adulterated fuel business that was going in Ashaiman was an illegality and must not be supported.