Some participants
Plans are far advanced for the establishment of the Ghana National Petroleum Hub project in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region.
The Petroleum hub project is one of the government’s strategic programmes in the petroleum downstream sector to help create jobs for the people and boost the economy.
On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, the preparation of Spatial Plans for the Petroleum-Hub and final Stakeholders Validation workshop on Structure and Local Plans was organized at Beyin in the Jomoro Municipality.
The workshop was organized by the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUPSA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and was part of the processes that will eventually lead to the establishment of a refinery to process crude oil into various petroleum products.
The workshop which was attended by traditional leaders and other stakeholders, will also lead to the establishment of manufacturing plants for the processing of fertilizer from by-products of oil.
Nada Tandoh, Senior Special Planner for the Ghana Petroleum Hub said her outfit expected the traditional authority to collaborate with the Petroleum Hub Development Cooperation and Municipal Assembly to ensure the effective implementation of the structure plan in addition to the physical plan.
She mentioned that aside from LUPSA, there are other institutions such as the Ministry of Energy, the Western Regional Coordinating Council, the Lands Commission and a number of institutions that will be partnering to ensure the full implementation of the project.
The Jomoro Municipal Chief Executive, Ernest Kofie said the municipality was proud to be associated with the Petroleum hub project, particularly, at a time when more discoveries are being made by players in the oil and gas industry in the country.
“The development of the hub will increase the presence of major international oil trading and storage companies in our locality and so the assembly will give priority and attention to the new capital project”, he stressed.
He promised that the assembly will upgrade its existing social amenities to contain the pressure that would be brought on the facilities as a result of the expected influx of people into the area in connection with the petroleum hub project.
He then pledged that the assembly and other stakeholders will collaborate with all relevant agencies at every stage of the project to ensure its success.
The paramount Chief for the Western Nzema Traditional Area, Awulae Annor Adjaye II pleaded with the government to take 60 percent share of the project and leave the remaining 40 percent to the private sector.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Beyin