World oil production has generally increased since 1996 to more than 80 million barrels a day, from 63 million. Some say that when demand doesn’t follow the same trajectory, prices are affected; that this is the reason for the most recent spike in 2011 and the steep drop in 2015.

Others have other more valid explanations for this 2015 price drop. But anyway.

brentoilpricesaroundtheworld11

 

So, although the price is dropping, Ghana’s leaders have remained resolute. The price of gas in Ghana has rather gone up:

 

ghanagaspricesovertime

 

In reality, Ghanaians are paying close to ¢4.00 per liter at the pump including taxes and fees! These fees alone account for the price increases in Ghana in contrast to the price in say the U.S.

For one gallon of petrol, Ghanaians are expected to dish out about ¢15.00.

ghanagasprices12

 

Grandmother projects that Ghanaian households will loose on average ¢1,800 this year on gasoline, as the price of a gallon of gas has increased by nearly ¢5.60 from its low of ¢9.40 in January 2014 and is projected to remain high through 2016. But who feels the biggest drop in spending power? How much of that school fees is going to go towards food alone?

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~ Success is a horrible teacher. It seduces the ignorant into thinking that he can’t lose. It seduces the intellectual into thinking that he must win. Success corrupts; Only usefulness exalts. ~ WP. Narmer Amenuti (which names translate: Dances With Lions), was born by The River, deep within the heartlands of Ghana, in Ntoaboma. He is a public intellectual from the Sankoré School of Critical Theory, where he trained and was awarded the highest degree of Warrior Philosopher at the Temple of Narmer. As a Culture Critic and a Guan Rhythmmaker, he is a dilettante, a dissident and a gadfly, and he eschews promotional intellectualism. He maintains strict anonymity and invites intellectuals and lay people alike to honest debate. He reads every comment. If you enjoyed this essay and would like to support more content like this one, please pour the Ancestors some Libation in support of my next essay, or you can go bold, very bold and invoke them. Here's my CashApp: $TheRealNarmer

15 COMMENTS

  1. I see! So the government is charging me 10 extra cedis on a gallon right now? I see! I guess I just have to join the demonstration! I have no choice!

  2. its serious oo. oil price dropped to 27 USD a barrel, almost leading to the crush Dow J. but these guys who claim they increase and decrease with international prices are still charging this high

  3. almost $4 per gallon even with fuel prices at their lowest in a decade. interestingly overwhelming portion of that cost – more than 70% is in taxes….the dividends of which do not reflect in better roads, increased power supply, or better overall infrastructure. it gets wasted instead on big gas guzzling v8 4X4s, jetsetting to international conferences with attendant exorbitant per diems, cooked self enriching deals, and largesse to party apparatchiks. this, my friends is simply rapacious!!

  4. So I live in Buafori. Since 1899, there’s been no record of a Caterpillar/Bulldozer stranded and making its way to my village. The road here hasn’t been paved for more than 115 years and counting. I farm my own farm and cook my own food. No agent of the Rural Electrification Project ever cared to pass by this village. No water… nothing! But when I buy my motor bike to make my rounds around my village I have to pay 1.55 for the Electricity sector, 3.79 for the Energy Fund and 1.51 for the Road I don’t have? Every time I buy petrol for my Honda motor bike? I must organize my fellow fishermen, bike to Accra and cause some commotion! Nbuasem paa nie?

  5. Dade Afre Akufu my broda your problems are plenty. but they are not finished yet. an NGO suddenly comes in and drill a bore hole. You are finished drinking river water finally going enjoy some God filtered ground water then the assembly man who finished san 7 in 1969 and specialised in letter writing on Royal typewriter edition 1, will come and put a padlock on the pump and start charging fees so his son can afford secondary school in the main town.

  6. Audu Salisu, nye bro., the problem is not over oh! Your dad returns to the Clan War Cult and pulls out an old hunting riffle made by one of the finest musketeers of the state Asafo circa 1812. Your dad clips the fingers of the Assembly man. The next day the police from the big town arrive. Three of them. The men in the family court brand their shiny cutlasses in return. But because the three policemen belong to the other tribe whose chief had signed a peace deal with your ancient chief circa 1734, the hot welcome is seen as an affront to peace. The next week tempers rise! J.J. arrives to calm things down. But no one forgets the chain of events. Now riding your motor bike anywhere you want becomes a problem. Your life has become ‘nyamaaa’ just because of one bore hole!

  7. Either I am the first to advocate in Ghana or among the pioneers to begin to think that there is an unseen hand ruling Ghana with our present President acting as a figurative sign board.

    Because when you had grown from a poverty home, like a village in Northern Region of Ghana and have track record of advocating and charging previous Government of this same Ghana, against oppression of the people;

    Then why will he ascend the thrown and make Ghana a hail than his predecessors? is something that continue to baffle my mind.

    he next most worrying of all situation is; they never listern to any council to support their work, whatever they have set their mind to do, it shall be done despite opposition to the plan from the masses.

    It is the only Government now that I see the Legislature and the Judiciary, if not possible we may include Electral Commission cease to know their full authority in democratic governance in implementation level with the exception of the power given to them on the paper. And that gives me alot concern if I will be honest to myself

  8. Well Tweneboah Senzu tighten ur belt, the village misery continues, nye bro Narmer Amenuti you see the thing is that this bore hole wahala does not end with bore hole oo. U see as ur elders try to solve all these issues after J.J. is gone back to accra and people are talking about the first time helicopter came to the village, wishing the village can be as peaceful as it was before the war that ended with the 1734 peace deal, you are also turning 30 years old and biology is doing its own thing in your pants. The girl you used to walk under cocoa trees to go to school with is the loveliest sister u’ve ever come across and you are madly in love with her. since you guys finished JSS you always drop her off at the market with your motor bike and you guys chit chat all the time. Your farm is doing good and everyone think you will settle with her soon. Now her parents are from the other side of this small conflict reignited by assembly man monopoly over one bore hole so her brothers are saying you can’t marry her. EEiii eye assume ooo

  9. My friends Dade Afre Akufu, Narmer Amenuti and Audu Salisu. On the eve of the Yam Festival, you manage to sneak away to meet the beautiful blue-shine of the dark-skinned lady, Anabi, at Mangoase (under the giant Mango tree). The big fore-headed pastor who collects money every Sunday from our women (re)-named Anabi, Elizabeth. Why? I wonder! They call it baptism but we say it’s just libation over the head. You exchange a few kisses with Anabi and then some. Four months later, an entourage arrives at you clan head’s home. Machetes in hand, bows and arrows, knives and swords! Clearly, this is for show, or why would they risk a small Asafo in the midst of many men. But, they are pissed all the same! They’ve spent more than 300 Cedis on petrol for their motor bikes to get to our village. And they are asking the clan head for compensation. For causing them to make the trip. Meanwhile they must be fed. The queen of the clan gathers some of your sisters to make them the meal of the Gods. You’ve rarely had that privilege yourself. How the Gods are happy feeding those angry at you? Then you realize that these are emissaries and they are here because their Gods are angry. Your clan head sends for you. You’ve done something to Anabi, oh… Elizabeth, that no one likes! You must pay, they say. First you deny it, then you rouse the queen’s displeasure. She looks you in the eye and ascertains immediately what you’ve done. Tempers escalate. But you deny it until the clan head pulls out his sword and says, if you don’t tell the truth, he will cut off your head himself! You acquiesce. Three hours later, the queen and her linguist, the clan head and his linguist, and the emissaries – obviously sumptuously fed with a variety of goat sauces made from your own goat – agree that this might be our chance to a new peace deal since 1734. A baby. What food and the prospect of a baby can do to the hearts and minds of Africans! You must still pay the 300 Cedis wasted in the process. Never mind the sacrifice of your own goat. That’s eight months of hard farm work! But there’s more. The Gods are very angry on both sides now. They demand sacrifices and a dowry that you, at slightly over thirty, wonder what exactly these things would achieve. You are alone, for the first time in this conflict. The quiddity of it all blows your mind. But the merry prospect of joining Anabi never escapes you troubled mind.

  10. Hmm people! Isn’t it crazy how things turned out? Now you smell the prospect of being one of two young people who could change the fate and future of your village forever. The coming of a baby even more, so you kind of scared and happy at the same time. You meet one of Anabi’s brothers on your way to the farm and you guys remember when he scored the last goal during the inter-school games back in the days. He starts wondering why he had showed up with a machete together with the whole group. But you do understand that it’s a peer pressure so you cool him down and he slowly starts feeling comfortable around you. The Akunta thing is starting to take shape. Besides, deep inside you both feel the next generation should not be like that.

    Then one of Anabi’s friends shows up. Aba, she has always been the type that will say it as it is. As soon as she spotted you and Amabi’s brother, she start: “so you idiots are finally coming to your senses. Men, men will always be men. Anyway it’s nice to see you guys talking and smiling rather being at each other’s throat”.
    But then the next bad news comes. Aba breaks the news that some aspiring MPs and the sitting one have begun sharing sardine and Tinapa. Its election campaign time again and all the political parties are here to deceive people again

  11. This time given the recent spate of events (some involving the current government shipping in unwanted political prisoners from the land Christopher Columbus raped, sodomized, far far beyond the sea versus the opposition party whose flag bearer had suddenly decided it was time he showed off his 71 years old fatigue) the election was going to be the most hotly contested.

    To up their thieving games they took the distribution of sardines and tinapas to new heights by adding bathroom slippers and toilet roll paper to the mix. Prominent and key chiefs were given tractors with some individuals receiving 29 tractors personally. This had a dual purpose

    1. To help the politrickcians win the election

    2. To continue the shift towards GMOs through expected forthcoming USAID Agro Assistance and the Plant Breeders Bill. Handing out these tractors ensured that at least by the time the elections were rigged, stolen and balanced they could start office with some of these grants coming in immediately.

    The weary populace saw through their slick thieving fingers and lies falling from their mouths like sh*t from duna.

    They accepted the goods, cheered them on and voted for a random independent candidate who had made a killing as a successful music cowboy boots wearing producer from Texas. They then proceeded to chase out all representatives of all political parties through a machete wielding exercise.

    The politicians fled. Unfortunately Anabi accustomed to the taste of tinapa and sardine also fled with them.

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