Dr Ben Asante, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Gas, has said more indigenes from the Western Region would be offered employment in the gas sector in fulfillment of the Local Content Policy.
He said it has, therefore, become imperative to collaborate with the traditional authorities to chart a common path to ensure that people along the oil and gas enclave were direct beneficiaries of the project.
Dr Asante gave the assurance when officials from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and Ghana Gas called on the Western Regional House of Chiefs in Sekondi.
The forum afforded the chiefs the opportunity to demand accountability from Ghana Gas, GPHA, and GNPC on their activities in the Region.
Dr Asante said his outfit would transport 100 units of gas to generate power at Aboadze adding that Ghana Gas had generated 600 megawatts of power in its operations and would generate 2,000 megawatts of power by next year.
He said Ghana Gas had employed Ghanaians only in its operations at Adoabo and that it would expand in the next two to three years to add another processing plant and develop the human capital.
Dr Kwame Amoah Baah-Nuako, the General Manager in charge of Sustainability at the GNPC, said as part of its corporate social responsibility, the GNPC would focus on education and training of the youth, empower the people economically and provide environmental and social amenities.
He said he would liaise with the House of Chiefs to collect the needs assessment of the Region and make provisions for them.
Dr Baah-Nuako said GNPC would award scholarships to about 200 youth in the Region out of a national target of 500 to attend Ghanaian universities since the institutions had now been well resourced to train the human capital.
“GNPC would also assist less-endowed senior high schools in the Western Region to boost academic work and improve standards”.
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, the President of the Regional House of Chiefs, who doubles as the Board Chairman of GNPC, said the GNPC, had identified petrol-chemical courses with the universities like the KNUST, UMAT, Kikam Technical Institute and Tarkwa Technical University to train the required manpower for oil and gas exploration.
He, therefore, said there was the need to build science laboratories and resource centres in all senior high schools in the Western Region to enable the students to be abreast of the issues.
Ogeahoho Gyebi said 400 students who had qualified to enter the universities were on his database and appealed to the GNPC to award scholarships to such students.
Mr Peter Mac Manu, the Board Chairman of the GPHA, said the Bosomtwe Sam Fishing Harbour in Sekondi was due for expansion to help the oil and gas activities in the Region and create wealth for the people.
He, therefore, called for peace, unity and love from the chiefs and indigenes in to push the development agenda forward.
He said the GPHA was ready to work with chiefs in the Region to enhance development.
Source: GNA
