The Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has called on the government to take immediate measures to cushion Ghanaians amid the recent surge in fuel prices.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews, Mr Jinapor emphasised the importance of leadership during times of national crisis.
“The more fundamental, most important point which should be made is that true leadership is tested not in comfort times, not in better times, not in favorable times, but in tough times and in times of crisis,” he said on March 17.
He added that citizens expect their leaders to rise to challenges when the nation faces difficulties:
“History has taught us over the years that leaders rise up to the occasion in times of crisis and citizens expect a lot more from their leaders in times of crisis as we have it today.”
Mr Jinapor drew attention to the recent escalation in fuel costs, noting the rapid increase in local petrol prices:
“Within a spate of just two weeks, we’ve had a spike in petrochemical, the price of petrol in our country.”
He warned that the surge is likely to trigger broader economic challenges:
“It’s a spike, the economists will tell you that not too long from now we’re going to have the spiral effect. We’re going to have transport fees go up, we’re going to have inflation go up, we’re going to have the cost-of-living crisis in our country exacerbated, it’s going to get worse, it’s going to happen.”
Highlighting the need for decisive leadership, Mr Jinapor recalled past instances where Ghanaian leaders had acted swiftly in times of crisis:
“And this is where leadership is called upon. In 2008, during the global financial crash, President Kufuor rose up to the occasion, broadcasted to the nation, removed taxes on oil, on rice, on essential commodities in our country and attempted to give some relief to the Ghanaian people.”
He also pointed to the measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic:
“At a time of COVID, we all saw it ex-president Akufo-Addo stood up to the occasion. Free electricity, free water, brought about all kinds of measures for the vulnerable, fed the vulnerable, worked a formula out which ensured that health care workers were given tax rebates, generally gave incentives and relief in the welfare package to the mass of our people.”
Summing up these interventions, he said: “This is what President Akufo-Addo did at a time of crisis.”
Mr Jinapor also drew a parallel with international efforts to protect citizens from rising energy costs:
“President Kufuor has done it. Today, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom has just approved £53 million to support British citizens in the purchase of oil for heating during winter. Countries across the world are putting in place measures to cushion their citizens.”
Turning to the current government, he urged immediate action, especially given previous proposals by the administration while in opposition:
He reminded that the government had suggested solutions such as:
“They said we can use a stabilisation fund, we can use a sovereignty fund, we can remove taxes from fuel and that we can take out about eight out of the so many taxes on the fuel accumulation or pricing which will bring about relief.”
Mr Jinapor stressed that the government must implement practical measures to alleviate the burden on Ghanaians:
“What the government should do is to step forward and bring about relief and cushion Ghanaian people as President Kufuor did, as President Akufo-Addo did, as other leaders are doing today across the world.”
Addressing critics, he commented: “The hypocrisy of their politics and what they did for me is one thing to be commented upon, but in my view it’s tangential.”
He reiterated the urgency of convening an emergency meeting:
“The most important thing is that they should show leadership as President Kufuor did. The government should convene an emergency meeting, should convene an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the situation and find a way of bringing relief to the Ghanaian people.”
On the welfare of citizens, he emphasised that, at the end of the day, what matters most is the well-being of the countrymen and women.
Mr Jinapor emphasised that the government must find a way to bring relief to the Ghanaian people, especially since they had previously claimed to have all the answers while in opposition.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com