A Ghanaian-Canadian author and concerned resident who has expressed concerns about the Petroleum Hub Project has admitted that individuals wanting a more sustainable arrangement are receiving death threats.
In an exclusive interview with Dr. Ren on Rainbow Radio 92.4FM, UK, Madam Elizabeth Allua Vaah said that people wanting a better deal had been intimidated to discontinue their campaign.
The Coalition of Concerned Nzema People has spoken about the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed for the $12 billion Petroleum Hub project in Jomoro.
According to the Coalition, they are not against the project, which plans to span 20,000 acres.
The Coalition stated that the project will have a negative impact in its current form considering the economic and social value of the land, which has historically provided substantial benefits through coconut plantations, cash crops, and other resources.
Adding her voice to the call by the Coalition, she described the deal as a scam that will further worsen the plight of residents, especially those who would be directly affected.
Elizabeth Allua Vaah said that the project details and its involved parties lack transparency.
She also alleged that the companies that won the contract to execute the project lack the financial capacity to do so.
In her view, the concerns raised by the Coalition are genuine; hence, they should not give up the fight until authorities go back to the negotiation table or scrap the deal and wait until those with the capacity come in to execute the deal.
She said the land also holds significant resources, but over the years, the residents have been taken for granted in the awards for companies to explore these resources.
She observed that land and its owners are frequently overlooked in large-scale development projects, and this must change. That is why it is critical for us to demand something considerably superior to what the administration has signed. We want to make sure that any development on their land serves the local community directly and sustainably.
She reiterated the need for the deal to also factor in measures to protect local rivers, streams, the sea, plantations, and forests from potential oil spills and other environmental hazards.
The government of Ghana has signed a US$12 billion agreement with the TCP-UIC Consortium, which comprises Touchstone Capital Group Holdings Ltd., UIC Energy Ghana Ltd., China Wuhan Engineering Co. Ltd., and China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Co. Ltd.
The agreement is for the development of the first phase of the Petroleum Hub project in the Jomoro Municipal Area in the Western Region.
The Ghanaian government plans to transform the country’s energy sector and position it as a West African energy trading hub, but Elizabeth Allua Vaah argues that the deal is flawed and could lead to poverty.
She committed to making sacrifices to prevent the project from being completed until proper negotiations are conducted.
“Some have received death threats for demanding the right thing to be done. They have been told to stop what they are doing, or should the project be stopped, they would be killed. How are you? Everybody has the right to speak up against issues that are affecting them. It is up to the person in charge to explain to the affected persons. There is bloodshed for the land to be there, so the residents have the right to know the details surrounding the project, how it will affect them, and how they will benefit from it.”
“I hear a lot of Jomoro people saying that we are doing this, so the project would be sent to Ellembelle. You don’t need to worry about that. This project will not go anywhere. If this project is relocated to Ellembelle, I will use my sacrifice and will ask you to do whatever you want with me. I am assuring you of that. We will not allow that to happen. From what we have gathered so far, this project is not commercially viable. At least as of now, there is neither the money nor the economic viability to make this project happen.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
