Ms Samia Yaba Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, has hinted that the people of Jomoro where she is the Member of Parliament will embark on a massive protest against the relocation of the $1.2 billion gas plant.
The gas plant which was originally planned to be located in Bonyere in the Jomoro district has been moved to Atuabo in the Ellembelle district, also in the Western region, according to officials at the Ghana Gas Company citing technical and geodetic reasons.
According to the Jomoro MP, the protest which will be peaceful and non-violent will come off in the “next few days”.
“We had a big meeting in Jomoro yesterday” about the protest on the issue, said Ms Samia Nkrumah on Joy FM’s breakfast show March 5, 2012.
Citing evidence from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and the Volta River Authority (VRA), Samia said the people of her area were given the impression that the infrastructure will be located in Jomoro hence the decision by the Ghana Gas Company to move the plant to Atuabo was a “surprise”.
She argues that the relocation happened in a “secret manner” because she as an MP was not “aware”.
“We want people to take us serious,” she said.
Already citizens of Bonyere have threatened secession over the relocation issue. “If they don’t want the project to come to Bonyere, then we would join Ivory Coast,” the Secretary of Bonyere Citizens Association, Striver Thomas Awuah told ghanabusinessnews.com in an interview.
Meanwhile, a high powered delegation from Jomoro is expected to meet the Minister of Energy, Dr Oteng Adjaye, for clarification on the relocation, reports the Ghana News Agency March 5, 2012.
The project will be constructed by a Chinese company, Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation and will be fully financed from the $3 billion Chinese loan secured by the Ghana government from the China Development Bank (CDB).
The early phase of the infrastructure, according to officials is scheduled to be completed by end of 2012.
Officials say the project will have a functioning gas processing plant and an infrastructure linking the FPSO to the processing plant and to Aboadze and Prestea through Esiama.
It is expected to produce 300 million cubic feet of gas from the Jubilee oilfields daily.
By Ekow Quandzie
Nothing wrong in fighting for the rights of your people, please let the fight be in dialogue or peaceful procession. Every MP should see to the development of their area for the benefit of the people and the nation.
Every Ghanain is free to fight for his or her right but to threaten with sucession is irrational. The young people must be brought to reason that threats may end in unnecessary conflict with the rest of Ghana(Biafra war because of some greedy individuals who wanted the oil weath for themseves). And Ivory Coast,knowing the long term implications,will not come to their aid. Bonyere is in the jomoro district with Half Assini as district Capital so in case the Bonyere youth want to join Ivory Coast can they include Half Assini, New town Effasu ect ?Good luck. Diplomacy and reasoning is what will yieald good outcome for them.
The point is, when the decision to relocate was taken, did the decision-makers consider the possibility of such backlash from the Jomoro District? Responsible leadership requires that you do things so transparently no room is created for speculations and unnecessary and unhealthy reactions. Are the people of Jomoro supposed to be jumping and clapping for government on this matter? In any case the President’s support for the relocation on the grounds of saving cost on 21km of pipeline is as spurious as it is annoying. Isn’t the cost in managing the backlash in excess of the savings to be made – if indeed that is true? If the President cares to know, it is such bits of “unnecessary political” decisions that have cumulatively culminated in the Niger Delta phenomenon. Ghana simply can’t afford this recklessness.
Guys, let face the fact, The decision for Bonyere to be the main station for the gas plant was not taken overnight and not by only two people. So why relocation suddernly with no apparent reason?. Was not a survey done? I support the peaceful demonstration for government to take us serious as said by Samia-Hon.