The Minority in Parliament has called on the Akufo-Addo-led government to fix the deplorable roads connecting to Tema Oil Refinery and other petroleum depots in order to avert a national crisis.
The Ghana National Petroleum Drivers Union and the Gas Tanker Drivers Union declared an indefinite sit-down industrial action nationwide on Monday, June 26.
According to the drivers, the strike was necessary due to the unmotorable nature of their roads from the GTP roundabout at Community 4 in Tema, in the Greater Accra Region, linking the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) through a heavy industrial area to Kpone, the capital of Kpone Katamanso District.
Reacting to the strike action by the tanker drivers in a statement signed by the Ranking Member, Mines and Energy Committee, Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor, the minority indicated that there is a shortage of LPG and other petroleum products in the country due to the strike action.
The minority, therefore, called on the government to fix the roads with immediate effect.
Read Full Statement Below:
29th June, 2023
GOVERNMENT MUST FIX THE ROADS CONNECTING TO TEMA OIL REFINERY AND OTHER PETROLEUM DEPOTS IN ORDER TO AVERT A NATIONAL CRISIS.
The Minority in Parliament has taken note of a genuine decision taken by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers under the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers and Petroleum Gas Drivers Union to embark on a sit-down strike over the deplorable condition of the Tema Oil Refinery to Kpone road in the Greater Accra Region.
We have also noted that Tanker vehicles with loads of petroleum products from the country’s petroleum enclaves in Takoradi, Kumasi and Buipe, have withdrawn their services insisting they will not resume work until the deplorable roads leading to those depots are rehabilitated.
Information reaching us indicates that the strike action is already having a negative impact on petroleum supplies with reported shortages of LPG and other products in some parts of the country.
It should be noted that the Petroleum products being transported on these deplorable roads are highly inflammable and has the potential of compromising the safety of drivers and pedestrians.
The Minority wishes to make an urgent and passionate call on the Akuffo-Addo/Bawumia led Government to refrain from the usual lackluster approach and show commitment towards addressing the genuine concerns of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union with immediate effect to avert the pending national crisis.
We wish to state emphatically that we completely reject the excuse by the Government communicators that the nation is broke following the rapid deployment of road contractors to complete some major roads in the Assin North Constituency during the period of the recently held by-elections. The action by the government in Assin North points to one fact, that they have priorities, and the minority in Parliament believes that fixing the roads connecting to these major depots should be one of such priorities.
By this release, we call on the government to fix the said roads with immediate effect.
-Signed-
Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor
(Ranking Member, Mines and Energy Committee)
