OIL FIND PRODUCES MIXED RESULTS (PAGE 23, NOV 8, 2010)

THE oil find could be said to be a blessing for the country.
Residents of the Twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi, can however talk about some worrying issues when discussing the oil find.
Although the oil find has revitalised the long-lost vibrant economic activities in the metropolis, it has also resulted in increase in the cost of living which they have described as too high above the reach of the ordinary man.
There has been at increase in rents, prices of goods and services, while congestion has been created resulting in pressure on limited social amenities.
The rent of a three or two-bedroom house which used to be about GH¢50 and GH¢60 respectively, now is about GH¢100 with landlords demanding rent advance for three or four years, while other landlords charge rents in dollars.
Apart from utilities such as water, electricity and telephone, the prices of goods and services are determined by traders based on their profit margins.
The price of fish has also gone up. At the Sekondi landing beach, only takes the presence of oil service providers in their T-shirt to trigger the prices for fish.
Kojo K. Nsiah, a security man said he and other tenants were forced out of their house because the area was to be rehabilitated and rented out to an oil company.
“I was forced to separate from my family because I cannot compete, I have to perch with a friend to go to work and my salary is not more than GH¢90.00 so raising money to pay rent is a problem,” he lamented.
A drive through the metropolis indicate that most roads in the city are full of heavy duty trucks of oil companies, which are carting pipes and other logistics to the Navy Port at Sekondi or Takoradi Port.
One can count about eight different companies and other oil service providers located from the Paa Grant road to Nkrumah Roundabout.
There are other similar companies at the Shipper’s Authority Roundabout leading to the Takoradi Port.
City authorities seem to be overwhelmed by the situation and have not been able to come out with a solution to the problem of congestion.
Some residents have therefore appealed to the metropolitan assembly and the city authorities through its town and country planning unit to work effectively to ensure sanity on the roads and other commercial areas in the Twin-city.
They said that was necessary to ensure a conducive atmosphere in the central business district for other commercial activities.