Africa-Press – Ghana. The Minority Caucus in Parliament has asked the ruling government to close down the fuel depots at the Jubilee House and the Castle to demonstrate its commitment to abiding by its directive.
Mr Sammi Awuku, the Member of Parliament for Akuapim North remarked: “If the President wants to really show that he is committed on this fuel allowance and the cutting down of fuel and scrapping of it, I’m challenging him to close down the fuel depot at the Castle and Jubilee House”.
He was of the belief that the government’s directive must come with concrete action and demonstrate its determination that the government appointees are no longer going to take fuel for free.
Mr Awuku further demanded transparency on the amount of money that would be saved from the directive.
The President, through the Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, announced a directive, cancelling the payment and distribution of fuel to all political appointees as part of wider efforts to cut government expenditure and promote fiscal discipline.
The Minority Caucus described President Mahama’s decision to scrap fuel allowances and allocations for all political appointees as a populist move.
Mr Awuku, speaking on the floor of Parliament, challenged the sincerity of the government’s action and called for more decisive action if the government wants Ghanaians to the directive seriously.
The Akuapim North lawmaker, also expressed concern about the lack of clarity about who qualified as a political appointee.
He queried: “Does it include ministers? Does it include CEOs? Does it include presidential staff?…Who are the political appointees?…Are you just talking of ministers or deputies, CEOs?”
“Again, I need clarification on the definition of the fuel allowance,” he added.
“Does it mean fuel for any political appointee, or are they trying to say that the money that will be used to pay these appointees will be refunded, or they’ll be made to pay back? We need clarity. Then again, how much is being spent on these fuel allowances, so that after scrapping, how much savings are we making? So, these are very serious questions that we need to ask.”
He added: “If the Minister for Communication drives from here to Ada or Ningo-Prampram to do government business, at the end of the day, is he returning the fuel in the vehicle that the State bought for that trip? Or some way, somehow, there wouldn’t be any fuel at all?”
“I just see it as populist. It’s just a public gimmick and a clear case of PR in settings. That’s what I would say.”
However, Mr Samuel Atta-Mills, the NDC Member of Parliament for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, defended the President’s decision, noting that it was a great idea.
” I think it’s a good example that the appointees should buy their own fuel and that would be good for the nation.”
The legislator argued that other public office holders must be willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the country.
“Members of Parliament, don’t we go around? Some of the ministers, are they not Members of Parliament? And then they go around just like we do, and we, the Members of Parliament, buy our own fuel.
“Nobody gives any Member of Parliament fuel allowance. No, we pay, we buy our own fuel,” Mr Atta-Mills said.
“Whether coupons or whatever, we buy our own fuel. So, you are a minister and then you are buying your own fuel. You are just sacrificing a little bit for the nation. That is it”, he added.
The government’s directive has triggered public debate across sections of the public with varied opinions.
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