THE discovery of oil in the Western Region definitely has positive implications for national development, but one key problem resulting from the oil discovery is congestion in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis which has become the centre of activities for the co-ordination of offshore oil activities.
Most of the oil companies have their offices in the metropolis which has brought about increase in cost of living as rent and other activities are now priced in dollars.
At a forum organised by the Nana Kobina Nketsia IV Foundation, in Takoradi, the traditional leaders re-emphasised their call on oil companies to help in the infrastructural development of the city.
Later in a communiqué read in Takoradi by the President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Awulae Attibrukusu III said some of the magnificent office complexes and residential facilities found in the cities should also be built in the communities to improve the standard of living of the people and give them hope.
“We are aware that Ghana is a unitary state, but it is also not wrong for us to ask the mining and oil companies to have their headquarters in the communities or regions the resource is found,” he added.
He said they acknowledged the government’s efforts in respect of legislation such as the petroleum exploration and production and revenue management bills. “But after days of discussions we are asking for accelerated development of the economic potential of the region in mining, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism and manufacturing and the relocation of head offices to the regions,” he said.
He said there was also the need for oil companies to work closely with the communities to come up with an acceptable plan of development, adding that “We call on the government to establish a Western Regional Development Fund to ensure accelerated development of the region”.
He said the chiefs also demanded that the oil companies produced a comprehensive plan to show how they would respond to ecological and social problems that might emanate from the emerging oil and gas industry.
Awulae Attibrukusu said since Ghana was working towards a middle income status, developmental challenges in the various communities, such as low literacy, diseases, poverty and high rate of unemployment were expected.
The deliberations at the forum centred on the potential impact of the oil and gas industry on the other sectors of the economy, such as forestry, solid minerals, Agriculture, fisheries, spatial planning, prevention of ecological and social disasters, health and safety as well as a rapid response of the industry to disasters, among others.
The forum was facilitated by the Nana Kobina Nketsia IV Trust in partnership with Skyy Media Group, the World Bank and others.
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