Oil revenue must benefit Ghanaians – Dr Nduom
The Government has been tasked to utilise oil revenue for the benefit of Ghanaians, more specifically, the communities in the oil production area in a visible, positive and very significant way.
Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, Convention People’s Party (CPP) presidential candidate for Election 2008, who made the call, called for a legislative and enforced local content in the production stage to engineer oil and gas skills and expertise to support the industry in country.
Dr Nduom made the call in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday after delivering a lecture on “Developing the Human Resource Base for the Oil Industry”, at the Catholic University at Fiapre near sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He also suggested that Ghanaian professionals and skilled workers should be in the forefront of the provision of services in all areas and legislation on the use of oil and gas revenue.
Dr Nduom also said there should be the development of a petrochemicals industry in the Western Region to create meaningful jobs and secure the future in order not to continue on the poverty path as an exporter of raw oil and gas.
“We should ensure that there is effective participation – meaning ownership – of Ghanaians in all areas both upstream and downstream. Ghanaians should share in ownership so that profits can remain in the country,” he said.
Dr Nduom said that Ghana must learn from her experience in gold, diamond and the rest and improve in many areas, because the difficulties experienced by Akwatia, Obuasi, Prestea and other communities should guide her actions with regard to how she treated the oil revenue.
He called on the authorities of Catholic University to offer a course of instruction appropriate for the times – to build the knowledge, skills needed in the oil industry.
Dr Nduom also asked the authorities to provide technology-based education to enable graduates to qualify for jobs in the new industry and know what the oil industry need and forge partnership for practical mutually beneficial association.
He advised the students to study hard, be curious, inquisitive and willing to update their knowledge.
Source: GNA