People comparing Russia-Ukraine war to Iran are ignorant – Onasis Kobby

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Operations and Technical at the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), Onasis Kobby, has assessed the devastating impact of the ongoing Iran conflict, noting that its effects far outweigh those of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Speaking in an interview with Okay FM on Monday, March 9, 2026, Onasis Kobby outlined several reasons to support his claim that the Russia-Ukraine war is a minor factor compared to the current conflict ongoing in Iran.

He explained that Iran’s strategic targeting of allies of United States in the Middle East has caused the war to expand beyond the initial parties involved and that since the Middle East hosts the majority of the world’s oil-producing countries, the impact on the global oil and gas industry has been devastating.

He pointed out that more than 10 major oil-producing countries have been affected by the conflict, unlike the Russia-Ukraine war, which involved only two countries.

Onasis Kobby noted that beyond the hike in fuel prices, petroleum and petrochemical industries such as pharmaceutical, rubber, fibers, detergents, and fertilizers will also bear the brunt of the ongoing war.

He described comparisons between the Russia-Ukraine war and the Iran conflict as ignorant or driven by sheer partisan politics, stating that those who make such comparisons are either speaking from ignorance or engaging in political bias.

“Our trade with Ukraine is mainly in grains. What people don’t know is that the Russia-Ukraine conflict was supposed to benefit us. Because of that war, Russia was selling crude oil at very low prices. Countries were buying from Russia at discounted rates to refine, so we were supposed to gain."

"How many of our traders go to Ukraine to trade? But we all know that our traders mainly go to China, India, and Dubai to buy goods. Aviation in the UAE has been halted, so you can imagine the impact on us. Anyone who says the Russia-Ukraine war is the same as the ongoing conflict in Iran is either being ignorant or engaging in partisan politics."

“If you look at the issues academically, you’d realise that they are not the same. As we speak, Iran has bombed countries in the Middle East, with refineries shutting down. The Strait of Hormuz, which serves as the pathway for over 20% of the world’s oil products, has been shut. So how can anybody say that the Russia-Ukraine war is the same as the US-Israel-Iran war?” he said.

Speaking on how Ghana can insulate itself from such global upheavals, Onasis Kobby proposed the Petroleum Hub project as the ideal solution.

I was so broke that I called my wife for GH¢500 to buy fuel – Kwakye Ofosu

He explained that if completed, the project would ensure Ghana’s energy security by providing sufficient petroleum and petrochemical products not only for domestic survival but also for export to other countries in the sub-region, generating foreign exchange.

The Petroleum Hub project, when completed, will have three refineries, five storage tanks with a storage capacity of 10,000,000 cubic metres. and petrochemical plants, ports and jetties.