President John Evans Atta Mills has once again reiterated his administration’s commitment to account for every pesewa that will be accrued from the sale of the expected oil revenue.
Delivering the 2011 State Of The Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, President Mills gave the assurance that an institution would be put in place to ensure revenue from the oil find is used for the benefit of the nation.
President Mills again underscored that the increment of fuel prices is not to the benefit of the ruling NDC party but geared towards finding a lasting solution to the payment of the TOR debt. According to him, government is in the hunt for the right source of avenue to clear the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) debt, since in his estimation, a healthy and sustainable economy can only be attained if the TOR debt is paid.
In a packed auditorium with former President John Agyekum Kufuor in attendance, President Mills said government also plans on increasing the national buffer stock from 34,000 to 60,000 metric tons.
Touching on the fight against the drug menace, the President strongly indicated that certain key drug cases in the past, including the 77 parcels of suspected substances believed to be cocaine on board the MV Benjamin vessel, will be reviewed and measures taken by the security agencies to clamp down heavily on crime in a bid to discourage the country from being used as a subsidiary for drug trade and a sanctuary for drug barons.
“I have decided that we must reopen investigations into the disappearance of cocaine from the police Board as well as the 77 parcels of cocaine which entered Ghana aboard the MV Benjamin and mysteriously got missing. I am aware that some investigations were conducted, however the twist is that, the cocaine were never found and the culprits were not identified. We will not relent in our fight against the narcotic trade, and I believe that majority of Ghanaians are happy that these days they don’t wake up to hear stories of cocaine here, cocaine there, cocaine everywhere”.
“We will continue to make Ghana an unattractive destination for the narcotic trade. We will seek help of foreign operatives to help us trash out the drug barons and their couriers,” he said.
President Mills, who promised to fight crime with an extra zeal in 2011, said he had given the security agencies expressed orders to deal decisively within the law with anyone who disturbs the peace and tranquility of this country and also look into the unsolved murder cases that took place some years back including the serial killing of women.
To him, his administration has acquitted itself well in the fight against drugs and described as leadership by example the incident at the Kotoka International Airport where he availed himself to be subjected to body checks by security operatives from the Narcotics Control Board en-route to London.
“We promised to fight against the narcotic menace. And two years into our administration, I can say that we have acquitted ourselves very well in this regard. I had no regret subjecting myself to a check at the Airport. This is the surest way to lead by example” he said.