MFC to embark on demonstration against fuel prices
Movement For Change (MFC), a public interest group in the country, has hinted of its readiness to embark on a demonstration against the government on what it calls “Reduce Fuel Prices Now”.
It believes that at a time when world crude prices have fallen by historic margins, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has remained “adamant and insensitive to the many calls for drastic reduction in prices of petroleum products”.
A statement made available to the Daily Graphic and jointly signed by MFC’s Chairman, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare; Head of Operations, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, Head of Research, Moro Kabore; Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong and Head of Communication, Nana Boakye (Nana Bee), said many associations, civil society organisations and some political parties had all called on the government to reduce fuel price as it was an alternative source of power generation for them.
It said the constant power outages, better known as “dumsor” in the country, was putting undue pressure on businesses and organisations who had been compelled to use power plants and generators to provide electricity in their offices.
“The bitter and unfortunate truth is that the average Ghanaian is still reeling under the serious economic crisis as a result of gross mismanagement and reckless dissipation of our scarce resources,” the statement said.
It added: “Recently, the excuse that government is indebted to the BDCs can no longer hold because the so-called debt according to reliable information has been settled”.
The statement said in critical times of high unemployment levels and sky-rocketing cost of living, there could be no room to countenance the crippling of businesses because of the government’s inability to drastically reduce fuel prices to appreciably cushion the private sector against “this chronic energy crisis for almost three-and-a-half years”.
“We demand that the government reduce fuel prices now to be commensurate with the continuous fall in crude oil price on the international market to cushion the almost crushed businesses,” the statement read.
It further read that: “Movement For Change, as a public interest group, is not only adding its voice to the numerous calls from all Ghanaians but will be embarking on a nationwide campaign and demonstration. We call on all Ghanaians to rise up and demand that the right thing should be done”.