NGO says oil not for people of the catchments area alone

Half Assini (W/R), Aug. 13, GNA - A former District chief Executive for Jomoro and Executive Director of the Centre for Social and Community Advancement, a non-governmental organisation, Mr Ketiboa Blay, has said that by law the people of Jomoro District are not the exclusive owners of oil and gas find in the Jubilee Field but for Ghanaians as a whole.

He said the oil and gas find are equally mineral resources and the people in the catchments area are entitled to be paid royalties.


Mr Ketiboa-Blay said this at a day's workshop organised for 60 participants made up of chiefs, security agencies, civil servants and opinion leaders in the Jomoro District.


The workshop, which was under the theme "Improve Stakeholders access to information on Oil and Gas Industry," was organised by the Centre for Social and Community Advancement (CESCA).


The District Chief Executive for Jomoro, Mr Victor Kabenlah, appealed to people of the area to know what they are going to earn as royalties before pressing for it.

He urged students in the area to choose suitable courses which would enable them work in the oil industry in future.


Mr Kabenlah appealed to the NGO to move from the awareness creation and create a common platform where the concern of the people of the area could be addressed.


He also appealed to the NGO to open a customer service in the district to receive the concern of the people.


The Presiding Member of the Jomoro District Assembly, Mr Ehwi Armah, said the Jomoro District never identified itself with the oil find due to earlier distortion of the location of the oil.