The Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana (C-DAG) is demanding that the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government explain the details of its gold-for-oil deal and account for funding allocated for road rehabilitation.
In a press statement released on Monday, May 6, C-DAG expressed frustration over the high cost of petrol sold by state-owned Goil, despite the government’s announcement last year that it was exchanging gold for oil to stabilize prices.
The group noted that Goil’s prices are higher than those of private companies, and called for a clearer explanation of the deal.
Also, C-DAG criticized the government’s handling of road infrastructure, saying that despite funding allocated for rehabilitation, deadly potholes continue to endanger drivers and commuters.
The group is giving the government one week to respond, threatening protests in regional and district capitals if their demands are not met.
The group’s National Chairman, Paa Willie, Deputy Secretary Nana Wiredu, and PRO David Agboado signed the statement, urging all Ghanaians to support their call for accountability.
Read full statement below
Concerned Drivers Associationnof Ghana(C-DAG)
May 06, 2024
Press Statement for Immediate Release
ACCOUNT FOR GOLD FOR OIL NOW- C-DAG TO GOVERNMENT
We are amused by the high cost of petrol sold by Goil which is supposed to be rather lower than private owned oil marketing companies.
In our view, Goil which is owned by the state should be selling petrol at an affordable rate especially when the government announced to Ghanaians somewhere last year that it was exchanging our gold for oil in order to stabilize the price of petrol.
However as at the close of Sunday, May 5, 2024, Goil which is government owned sold a liter of petrol at GHC 15.00 as against private owned Shell and Total who sold petrol at GHC 14.65 per liter at the pump.
It is against this backdrop that we are demanding for the government to offer to us a clearer explanation on the Gold for oil deal as the deal has failed to provide any sort of respite for us as transport operators.
By that we give the government a maximum one week period beginning from today least we shall stage a series of protests in all regional and district capitals of the country and shall only cease the protests when a true accountability has been rendered.
Again, President Akufo Addo sometime last year announced that his government had secured funding for the rehabilitation of major road trunks but as at now there has not been any better improvement in the state of our road infrastructure.
Deadly potholes continue to wreck our vehicles and put the lives of drivers as well as commuters in danger.
As a matter of fact, this government has failed to consider the plight of drivers.
We call on the president to therefore account to us on how the funding he claimed to have received for the purpose of road rehabilitation was utilized.
We pray all well meaning Ghanaians to support our this call for true stewardship and accountability. Thank You.
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