Communique Western Region Development Forum Takoradi On 24th To 25thseptember 2010

We, the representatives of Traditional Rulers, Civil Society and Community Based Organizations of the Western Region, gathered and having participated in a two-day workshop on the theme:

Preparing Minds and Space with Respect to the Oil and Gas Culture

from 24th to 25th September, 2010 at the Akroma Plaza Hotel, Takoradi, facilitated by the Nana Kobina Nketsia IV Trustwith the support of Tullow Oil Ghana, Skyy Media Group, the Ghana Office of the World Bank, Friends of the Nation and the Coastal Resources Centre  Ghana, hereby

Acknowledge:
* Government efforts in respect of legislations : Petroleum Exploration & Production Bill and Revenue Management Bill

* Efforts of corporate entities and civil society organisations in flagging critical issues on the emerging petroleum industry (environmental concerns, Employment, livelihoods)

Recognize that:
* Ghana is a unitary republic
* Ghana is a developing country aspiring to middle income status

* People in all the regions still face developmental challenges such as low literacy, diseases, poverty and high unemployment.

Bearing in Mind and Stressing
* Western Regions substantial Natural Resource contribution to the national economy: largest producer of Cocoa, largest contributor of Timber, sole producer of Rubber, 2nd highest producer of Gold with the potential to become the highest if current rate of prospecting continues, sole producer of manganese and Bauxite and among the leading contributors in Tourism and Foreign Remittances.

Concerned that:
* Despite the immense community, personal and ecological sacrifices that have been made with these contributions from the Western Region - the people and the communities in the Region have not derived proportionate and commensurate benefits in terms of development and that:

* The current infrastructural underdevelopment and among others poor health facilities and services, poor road networks, high illiteracy levels, high unemployment and out-migration of the youth, high school drop out rate and a very low school enrolment

* Whilst only 4.15% of the indigenes of the Region have access to Secondary Education and

Fearing that:
* The emerging oil and gas industry may in all likelihood perpetuate this poverty of the Western Region if the status quo prevails and

Noting among other things that:
* The current medium term development framework under preparation by the National Development Planning Commission barely mentions the Western Growth Corridor Development initiative and that

* The Oil boom in Western Region is already hurting Citizens and Residents in increasing rents, prices, congestion and pressure on land use and services and that presently

* Just over 40% of Western Region is connected to the national grid - far below the 60% national average whilst the low capacity transformers installed at district capitals in the Region have led to frequent power outages.

* In Telecommunications, the Western Regions Teledensity is 0.3 telephones per 100 people far below the national average of 0.7 per 100 people

Having Deliberated on:
The potential impact of the oil and gas industry on the other sectors of the regional economy: forestry, solid minerals, Agric, fisheries;

the need to harness corporate social responsibilities for the development of the Region;

the importance of spatial planning;
prevention of ecological and social disasters;
health and safety - rapid response capacity to contain any major disasters and mass causalities and a Western Regional accelerated development programme: Focusing on education, skills training, development of SMEs, oil and gas value chain, infrastructure development: North-South highway, coastal highway, international airport, railways, deep water port), Water and Sanitation, Telecommunication and Energy

Agreed that:
* The chiefs and people of the Western Region should hold an Annual Congress to review the socio-economic development and unity of the region

* There should be an united and integrated approach to urban planning

* There should be an integrated spatial development of the Region

* The Nana Kobina Nketsia IV Trust should facilitate the formation of a Western Region Development Working Group in consultation with the Regional House of Chiefs by 31stOctober 2010.

We therefore recommend that:
ﾷ The development of a Western Region accelerated Growth programme to harness the economic potential of the region in human resource, mining, agric, forestry, fisheries, tourism and manufacturing

ﾷ Sekondi-Takoradi should be developed into an Industrial hub for Oil and Gas, Agro Business, Finance and Tourism

ﾷ The Government of the Republic of Ghana should, as matter of urgency, establish a Western Regional Development Fund to facilitate accelerated development of the region with the hope that this will help mute the strong and growing sentiment of alienation and marginalisation.

ﾷ The Oil, Mining and Other companies operating in the Region should work closely with the Regional authorities, the House of Chiefs and the communities to develop a comprehensive regional CSR plan.

ﾷ The Working Group should promote and facilitate the implementation of a Western Regional accelerated development programme

ﾷ The Working Group should help facilitate a Development Partners Roundtable to align external Support.

ﾷ The Private Sector Groups in the Region should organize, promote, attract and connect to any development programme of and for the region

ﾷ The Working Group should promote active multicultural actors platforms of Civil Society, Traditional Authorities, the Private Sector and Knowledge Institutions to participate actively in thinking, influencing and monitoring plans for Region

ﾷ The Duty-bearers in the Oil and Gas industry should, as a matter of urgency, develop a regional capacity for adequate and comprehensive responses to any disaster or mass casualty that may result from the activities of the oil and gas industry that incorporates the upgrading and the improvement of the capacity of the existing accident and emergency centre. Further, the plans for a Regional Teaching Hospital should be fast tracked.

ﾷ Linkages should be promoted to ensure community participation in the Governance, exploitation and the processing of the Natural Resource and Environmental sector.

ﾷ The Structure the Oil and Gas Local Content Bill should achieve an emotional socio-economic integration between the Oil and Gas Industry and local Communities.

ﾷ The GNPC and the headquarters of the Oil and Gas industry should be moved to the Region to promote the spatial planning of Ghana.