District Labour Council cautions government on oil and gas

Bolgatanga, Nov. 19, GNA - The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has appealed to the government to put in the necessary legal and institutional framework to ensure that resources from oil and gas benefited Ghanaians. It said the labour union was worried about how the government had left issues concerning oil and gas in the hands of politicians alone. This was at a seminar for district councils of labout in the Upper East Region on Thursday.

Togbui Adom Dranyi II, Head of Organisations of the TUC, said prices of cocoa and gold had been rising but this had not reflected in the lives of the people and added that care had to be taken to avoid such a situation with the oil and gas.

He said the TUC was concerned about the type of legislation work done prior to exploration, how the country would take full control of the oil and gas for rapid development and how Ghanaian workers would be involved in management of the resource.

Togbui Adom Dranyi said the type of contracts that were being signed with oil companies fell short of how benefits accrued would influence the lives of Ghanaians.

He suggested that the local people be empowered so that they could be part of the process instead of constantly relying on foreign expertise. Togbui Adom Dranyi said the TUC was proposing that the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), which is in the process of being removed form the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, be re instated so that it would ensure the full participation of the people of Ghana in the decisions that affect oil revenues.

He called for a swift implementation of the right to information bill to be passed to facilitate information sharing and transparency, saying "Knowledge is not only preserved in people who hold high positions".