Regional News of Monday, 31 December 2012

Source: GNA

Don’t extend politics into fishing industry - Chief Fisherman

The Chief Fisherman for Effutu, Neenyi Mumi Kaako IV, has appealed to politicians not to extend politics into the fishing industry because it can undermine the growth of the industry.

He said since the beginning, affairs of the fishing industry had been handled by the fishermen themselves and not politicians.

He therefore appealed to people from the area who had been moving to Radio Stations to announce the dissolution of the Effutu Premix Petrol committee in Winneba to stop that practice.

Neenyi Kaako, who is also the Winneba Premix Committee Chairman made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Winneba.

He said the Premix Committee was formed by the Government four years ago in consultation with stakeholders in the fishing industry in the country.

He said the various groups elected their leaders and that no individual or Group of persons had the mandate to dissolve those committees.

According the Chief Fisherman, the committee operated in accordance with the rules and regulations on which it was formed.

He said a gallon of premix petrol was being sold to the fishermen at GHc2.70 pesewas and not GHc6 as alleged by some disgruntled persons in the area.

Neenyi Kaako urged politicians in Winneba who were trying to sow disunity among fishermen to stop because this could create trouble in the area.

He said with the election over, the fishermen needed peace to work and would therefore not tolerate anybody trying to divide their ranks.

The Chief Fisherman said since they took over in 2009, the executives under his leadership had constructed a permanent Petrol filling station with office and a store for fishermen in Winneba.

According to him, the Committee had given financial support to 100 petty traders at the Winneba.