Support Akufo-Addo's government to establish a petroleum hub in Jomoro - MP to Constituents

The Member of Parliament for Jomoro Constituency in the Western Region, Mr. Paul Essien has called on his Constituents to support the establishment of the much-awaited petroleum hub in the area to create jobs.

Akufo-Addo's government through cabinet has approved the establishment of the petroleum hub in the Western Region specifically in the Jomoro enclave to house all infrastructure projects in the petroleum industry.

The hub will accommodate a refinery to process crude oil into various petroleum products and manufacturing plants for the processing of fertiliser from the by-products of oil.

The move by the government forms part of a major initiative to create more jobs in the oil and gas sectors of the economy and provide investment opportunities for interested companies within and outside Ghana.

The hub, which is expected to cover an area of about 20,000 square kilometres, will be developed using the free zone concept.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 after inspection of a 20,000 acres of land for the project by the Deputy Minister for Energy, Hon. Joseph Cudjoe and OCP Moroccan Company, the MP for the area thanked Akufo-Addo's government for considering Jomoro Constituency for the establishment of the petroleum hub.

He revealed that as a result of the petroleum hub, government is going to establish a Fertilizer Plant in the area and five Petrochemical industries and also a harbour.

He opined, "If these projects come to Jomoro then our problem about jobs will be the thing of the pass and I am going to work hard to let President Akufo-Addo fulfill his promises, in fact Jomoro we have a brighter future, I urge you to support President Akufo-Addo".

He, therefore, advised parents to send their children to Technical Schools to acquire vocational skills that will make them employable in the future.

“I am happy to say that Cabinet has given approval for the establishment of the petroleum hub in Jomoro, which will create a lot of job opportunities and also investment opportunities for interested companies.

The MP said the project would be private-sector driven but indicated that the government would provide the necessary infrastructure.

The MP urged his Constituents to continue to have faith in President Akufo-Addo as he is working assiduously to fulfill his 2016 campaign promise to establish a Fertilizer Plant in the area.

He said the land for the project is already available at the Bonyere-Domunli Enclave.

He added that the Moroccan Company has expressed Keen interest in the project and also added that the project will see the light of the day.

Mr. Paul Essien who is also the Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy said the establishment of the Fertilizer Plant will create over 2,000 jobs and called on the Moroccan Company (OCP) to engage majority of Ghanaians in its operation.

"This is the time for Jomoro to benefit from the country's crude oil because we were not given the Gas Processing Plant by the NDC government and I also call on my people to eschew any means that will delay the project", he emphasized.

On his part, the Deputy Minister for Energy, Hon. Joseph Cudjoe reaffirmed that “The hub is going to work under a programme where the government will serve as the facilitator in securing almost 20,000 square kilometres of land and all our petroleum infrastructure is going to be placed in that hub. It is going to be a free zone concept sort of thing".

He said, for instance, that “our fertiliser plants, our refinery and all other petroleum-related activities are going to be there in the hub”.

He added that "The location of the hub in Ghana would make it easy to transport finished products from Ghana to Cote d’Ivoire and landlocked countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso".

He, therefore, called on the people of Jomoro Constituency to rally behind the Akufo-Addo's government to make the project a reality and promised to ensure the Local Content Act benefits them.