Sammi Awuku, the Member of Parliament for Akwapem North, has said the Mahama government is asking Ghanaians to tighten their belt, but the government is using an elastic around its waist.
He accused the government of double standards in its approach to economic measures.
According to Sammi Awuku, despite Mahama’s fuel scrap for appointees, the fuel depot at the Castle Osu is functioning.
He revealed that several appointees, including National Security operatives and people who do not even qualify, are still actively drawing fuel.
Speaking in an interview on the Channel One Newsroom, Sammi Awuku stated, “Today, we are at Jubilee House, and you can see that the fuel depot was functioning. The depot at Castle Osu, where you have several appointees and these National Security operatives and people who do not even qualify to even draw fuel from this vending point are actively still drawing fuel.”
“It is like the Ghanaian is being asked to tighten her belt, and the government is using elastic around the waist”, he added.
He further claimed the John Mahama-led NDC government is focused on three things.
According to Samm Awuku, the Mahama government is just public relations, optics, and settings.
Sammi Awuku added, “I see a trend. We have said that this government is a government of three things: P.R., optics and settings.
So anything that positions them as doing something, but in actual fact, the pocket economy speaks for itself. The same government says they were scrapping the fuel allocation for appointees of the government,” he said.
Sammi Awuku, in an earlier interview, fired shots at the Mahama government’s decision to scrap fuel allowances and allocations for all political appointees.
According to Sammi Awuku, the decision to scrap the fuel allowances is a PR gimmick and settings.
Sammi Awuku further noted that more clarity is needed concerning the scrapping of the fuel allowances.
Speaking in parliament, Sammi Awuku dared President Mahama to prove his seriousness by shutting down fuel vending points at the Jubilee House and Osu Castle.
The lawmaker stated, “I just see this as populist. It’s a public gimmick and clearly a case of PR and setting. That’s how I see it.”
“If the President really wants to show commitment to cutting down on fuel allowances, I challenge him to shut down the fuel depots at the Castle and Jubilee House. That would mean they are no longer taking fuel for free,” he said.
“Does it include ministers? Does it include CEOs? Does it include presidential staffers? Who exactly are considered political appointees? Are we just talking about ministers and their deputies, or does it cover CEOs as well?” he quizzed.
