The Vice President, John Mahama has lauded the collaboration between the people of Nzema in the Western Region and investors from Trinidad and Tobago which will lead to the establishment of an industrial estate and an energy city in the region.
The project would cater for all activities that would be taking place in the Western Region due to the oil fine.
The vice-president assured them of Government’s commitment to assist the two parties in their long short to long term plans.
He said the location of Nzema to the Ghana’s oil find makes the area conducive to host a number of activities in the Western Region.
Mr. Mahama said this when a joint team from the Western Region led by Chief of Western Nzema , Awulae Annor Adjei III and the investors led by Mrs. Ann Marie De Silva called on him at the Castle to seek government’s commitment to the mutual benefit in the execution of the projects.
Vice-President said Government was particularly happy that the investor was working closely with the chiefs and people in their catchments area, a situation not common to other countries that had found oil, leading to untold hardship to their citizenry.
He advised Ghanaians to be cautiously optimistic about the oil fine since the product may not be the panacea to all their worries.
He therefore urged Ghanaians to take advantage of the numerous opportunities the oil discovery bring instead of looking at it from a different perspective.
Mr. Mahama urged the investor to work closely with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) since that will afford them the opportunity to know at firsthand how much it will cost them to be hooked onto the West African Gas Pipeline project.
Awulae Annor Adjei III said the chiefs of the area considered the importance of land to their people, especially to generations unborn, and had not sold the land but rather leased it to the investors.
He also added that the investors had agreed to vacate the site and return it to its owner if by 2015 they had not delivered on their promises.
Awulae Annor stressed the fact that the investor had agreed not to relocate inhabitants but rather upgrade them when the need be, create a buffer zone for possible expansion and for future agricultural purposes.
For her part, Mrs. De Silva said the possibility of the project is feasible and had come to replicate what had been done in other countries such as Trinidad and Tobago
He pleaded with government to ensure that the project is not starved of gas since the commodity is the sole engine of the project.
Feb. 23 2010
Story by: Wisdom Awuku (Office Of The Vice President)
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