From Alfred Adams
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the oil and gas sector are still discontented with measures put in place by industry players to alleviate the adverse impact of the oil and gas production on communities.
The CSOs say although the oil and gas industry was contributing significantly to the country’s economy, it had negatives impact on the environmental and social lives of the host communities.
This, they said, must be alleviated with the institution of appropriate mechanisms through concerted efforts.
The CSOs made this known at the maiden Ghana Monitoring and Evaluation Forum (GMEF) held in Takoradi. Present at the forum were chiefs, queenmothers, fishermen and fishmongers.
The forum was spearheaded by the Community Land and Development Foundation (COLANDEF) and supported by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
It was on the theme “Promoting Effective Monitoring and Evaluation Systems in the Oil and Gas Sector: Providing Evidence for Informed Decision Making”.
Speaking at the forum, the Western Regional President of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), Nana Kojo Konduah, said from careful observation, fishermen in the region were certain that the oil and gas finds had impacted negatively on the fishing business.
He said the influx of oil supply vessels in Ghana’s territorial waters had caused huge traffic at sea, resulting in frequent collisions between oil vessels and fishing canoes, adding that in such circumstances, fishermen who get their canoes destroyed by oil supply vessels are denied the requisite compensation.
According to Nana Konduah, the 500 metres radius zone from the oil rig, which is restricted from fishing activities, was also a problem for fishermen.
He explained that there were no markings to indicate the boundaries of the 500 metres zone, resulting in fishermen flouting the law by entering the zone unknowingly.
“Although the Jubilee Partners have stated several mitigating measures in their Environmental Impact Statement, we hardly see them implementing these measures,” he said.
Mr. Kodwo Kyei Yamoah, Programmes Coordinator of Friends of the Nation (FoN), a Takoradi-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), in his presentation, emphasised the need for the regulatory institutions to take urgent steps to protect the country’s fishery industry.
An Energy Policy Advisor at the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Ishmael Ackah, called for deeper engagement between industry players and the host communities, especially in the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR).
The Executive Director of COLANDEF, Nana Ama Yirrah, on her part, noted that concerted efforts would help address the problem.
She was hopeful that the multi-stakeholder dialogue platform formed by the various CSOs in the region would cater for the situation.
Pix: Queenmothers seated at the COLANDEF forum