Discovery of oil in Ahanta and mad rush for land Ahanta West Assembly develops land planning scheme… Secures Korean gov`t sponsorship for implementation

THE Ahanta West District Assembly (AWDA) is positioning itself strategically to ensure the orderly development of the District, to avoid haphazard development.

This is as a result of the discovery of the oil in the district, which with its proximity to the capital of the Western Region has increased the potential for industrial and other related development. Prominent among these, is the siting of the proposed Bulk Oil and the Storage Facility at Atwereboanda, and the mad rush for lands by prospective investors and speculators.

In view of this, the assembly sought the assistance of the Korean Embassy in Ghana, for their government's support for the district to develop a Strategic Land use Planning Scheme, to build a modern city in the district.

This, the Assembly did by developing a concept paper on the project, and submitted to the Korean Embassy in Accra, which was studied and forwarded to the Korean government. Following the submission of the proposal to the Korean Government, a team of four officials from the Korean Government, led by Madam So Song Hec from the Korean International Co-operation Agency (KOICA), and others including Kim, Hom Bae, Professor at the Hanyang University, Lee Wangyeun, Senior Researcher, National Lands Research Institute, and Hwang Keehyun, an expert from the National Land Management Corporation, visited Ghana to gather data and assess the viability of the project.

The delegation met various stakeholders, and at the District level the team visited selected areas within the district, like Atwereboanda, Pumponi, Princess Town, as well as Cape Three Points, with key officials from the district.

At the end of the survey visit, the team, at its exit conference with the district staff, assured the assembly of the viability of the project, and promised to recommend it to the Korean Government for approval.

It was also agreed at the meeting that when the project is approved, a modern city would be developed, covering five kilometers square, with Agona-Nkwanta as the point of reference.

Interestingly, the Korean government, through Madam So Song, communicated to the Assembly that the project had been approved by the Korean government in their 2009 budget statement.

As a result, a team of experts, and KOICA officials, would therefore be visiting the district from 27th April to 2nd May, to discuss the terms of reference with key stakeholders.

It was therefore not surprising when a three-member team from the KOICA, led by Cho Sang woo, Hwang, Kee Hynn and Park Byeong Heoin, on the aforementioned date visited the assembly to discus the terms of reference of the project.

The Assembly Coordinating Director, Mr. Alhassan Zakaria, who chaired the meeting, welcomed the KOICA guests.

The two parties reviewed the terms of reference of the project, and it submitted to the Ministry of Local Government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the District and the Korean government on the project.

The Coordinating Director told the meeting that the purpose of the Assembly, to undertake the said project, was on four thematic areas. The proximity of the district; a proposal to put up oil refinery, tourist attraction and investment in the district.

The four thematic areas, according to him, were critical to land planning and development in the district.

The project, he noted, would finally commence when the draft submitted to the Korean government was approved.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr. Samuel Johnfiah, who is playing a key role in the implementation of the project, expressed hope that the project would kick-start soon.

The leader of the KOICA team, Cho Sang Woo, who described the project as laudable, told the meeting that the Korean government had set aside an amount of not less than $1.5 million to implement the project.

The meeting also discussed and arrived at gadgets such as computers, software, among others, to be used for the kick-start of the project.

Present at the meeting were assembly staff, the Regional Lands Officer, Mr. Muhammed Alhassan, the Regional Economic Planning Officer, Mrs. Olivia Opoku-Adoma, and the nominated DCE for the area, Jones Amuah.