The Minority in Parliament has called on the government to be candid with Ghanaians and apologise for deceiving the people in the run-up to the 2008 elections. The NPP Members of Parliament say the 30 per cent price increase in petroleum products announced by the National Petroleum Authority Monday was a clear case of betrayal of the people’s trust. The Ranking Member for Energy, Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, said the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) did not only trick Ghanaians but deliberately lied to the people about their desire to reduce drastically, the price of petroleum products if they won the 2008 election. He said having been elected on the basis of this promise, the government has turned round to increase the prices astronomically. The Navrongo Central MP wants the government to apologise to the people of Ghana for the grand deception and deliberate lies. Listen to Joseph Kofi Adda. The government has explained the increases were necessitated by mounting Tema Oil Refinery debt – which needs to be serviced to save the asset - and the hikes in the price of crude oil on the world market. But Mr Kofi Adda said the government’s explanation was at best tenuous and at worst a sophistry. Earlier, a Deputy Information Minister, Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, the government appreciated the implications of the price hikes but was impelled by the situation to increase the prices. He maintained that the decision was not taken lightly, adding the government deserved commendation because “This is the first fuel price increase in 14 months and it is a feat unmatched.” Mr Agyenim-Boateng said, consistent with the NDC’s social democratic credentials, essential fuels such as kerosene and premix fuel were not attracting any price hikes. Members of government, he emphasized, were also feeling the squeeze, unlike some people – whose names he will not mention – who when they were in government admonished the citizens to bite the bullet while they were chewing chocolate. “The beautiful thing about this is that we are not doing like some people did when they asked the masses to bite the bullet when they chewed chocolate. Indeed all of us are biting the bullet. As I speak to you, my tank is empty [and] I am driving to the fuel station to fill. There are sacrifices to be made and all of us must make them,” he said. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana