The inauguration of eight different landing beach committees at Shama in the Shama District of the Western Region, came to an abrupt end when the national chairman for the landing Beach Committees, Nii Lantey Bannerman, questioned the membership of the committees he had visited to inaugurate.
Mr. Lantey was forced to end the ceremony when some assembly members and fishermen in Shama alleged that some members of the committee were carpenters and masons who do not qualify to be on the committee.
This is the third time the ceremony has been called off. In all three instances, fisher folks in the district opposed the inclusion of some names on the inaugural list.
A scrutiny of the list cited by Citi News showed that, some of the names on the list are carpenters, masons, shop attendants, security personnel and other people who are not fisher folks.
Some of the agitating fishermen told Citi News that, “what will happen if a consignment of premix comes to us and it is adulterated, how will these people know, why is it that politicians want to destroy our livelihood?” they asked.
It was a charged atmosphere at the premises of the Shama District Assembly Hall on Thursday, June 29, 2017, as several police personnel wielding truncheons and guns were seen patrolling the entrance. Few meters away from the entrance were some fisher folks who were protesting.
Any person who tried to enter without accreditation was turned back. Journalists and other fisher folks who had participated in the earlier failed inaugural ceremonies were all denied entry.
Some people who were turned away complained bitterly that the request for accreditation has never happened before.
“We suspect foul play. Look at all these police men. Why, what is happening in Shama. If all is well, then why do we have all these police men here with guns and all these things,” they complained.
The Chairman of the Agriculture and Coastal Management Sub Committee of the Shama District Assembly, Isaiah Mensah, was also denied entry because he did not have an accreditation. After several minutes, the District Chief Executive, Joseph Amoah, came out to announce that the inauguration has been called off.
According to him, the ceremony was called off due to some disagreement over the list.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the National Premix Committee, Nii Lantey Bannerman, confirmed in an interview in Takoradi that the inauguration has been cancelled.
He confirmed that at one landing beach, the name of the Chief Fisherman was missing.
He explained that “what happened was that, while I was mentioning out the names on the list, one of the Chief Fishermen rose and objected to some of the names. According to the Chief Fisherman., some of the names I mentioned are not fisher folks and therefore the committee is in violation of the LI. So I asked him to point them out which he did. So obviously I couldn’t have inaugurated the committee. This is because I will then be violating the LI. The LI is very clear on the composition of the committee. I will not be the one change it”.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
