Rejoinder To Mr. Kofi Humado’s Comments On The Oil Exploration In The Keta Lagoon Basin

My attention has been drawn to an article on the oil and gas exploration in the Keta Lagoon Basin circulating on social media and posted onto the Hayibor Kwawukume family platform purported to have been written by Mr. Kofi Humado, MP for Anlo. The article was forwarded to me and after reading it I felt I should react to it because the article cast a slur on our integrity as persons who do not understand the campaign we are leading against the Oil and Gas exploration in the Keta Lagoon Basin.

Mr. Kofi Humado, we have been informed long ago, has launched a misinformation campaign to discredit us by deceiving the people with half-truths and complete falsehood about the oil exploration in the Keta Lagoon Basin.

It is a fact that in 1966, 1967, 1973 and 1986, oil drilling operations took place at Atiavi, Anloga, Dzita Seva and Anyako respectively and no oil was found in any reasonable quantities. We have visited and gathered information from old men in some of these towns who are still alive when these activities took place.

They confirmed that the Lagoon was heavily polluted in their areas which led to lot of dead fishes and that they were warned not to collect and consume them.

At Anyanui we were informed the lentil of a school building collapsed when an explosive was discharged during exploration.

The surroundings lands were polluted but with time natural restoration has taken place.

We have realized the MPs of the six constituencies in the Southern Volta and East Ada Districts are not truthful to their constituents about the negative impacts of the oil exploration project.

Below is the map of the 200 towns and communities with population of over 500,000 that would be affected by the project.

The next map shows the operational zones with the concentration and focus on the Keta Lagoon.

No leader, be it national or local, with Solomonic wisdom would authorize the search for oil and gas in this 21^st Century in densely populated settlements, though oil would generate the needed money for development, except the wicked and corrupt ones.

These past activities took place when there was no proper democracy in Ghana and certain Local Laws and International Regulations and Conventions governing such activities were not in place.

We currently have a somehow democratic governance backed by the 1992 Constitution, EPA Laws, the Convention of Wetlands of International importance which came into force for Ghana on 22^nd June, 1988 and the Wetlands Management (Ramsar Sites) Regulation 1999 and the World Bank Safeguard Policies governing such oil and gas activities, therefore such laws and Regulations and Conventions must be properly applied and followed to the letter.

It is true there are two stages in the Agreement, (1) the Exploration stage and (2) Development and Production Stages.

The Exploration stage involves two activities, first the 2D seismic survey to determine the location of the oil deposits and the second involves the drilling of wells to determine and access the flow capacity of the wells and quality of the oil.

By Industry practice and standard and according to Environmental Laws and World Bank Safeguard Policies, Environmental Assessment (EA) of the proposed project must first be conducted before the project starts. The EA should take into account the natural environment which includes air, water and land, human health and safety, social aspects which include involuntary resettlement, indigenous people and trans-boundary and global environmental aspects. The EA is to include the extent of adverse impacts anticipated from the project and how to mitigate them. The EA report must first have to be placed before the stakeholders in the various communities for discussion and mutual agreements reached before the project starts to avoid conflicts.

The Environmental Scoping Report compiled for the 2D seismic Survey in the Keta Delta Block is totally negative and has triggered the World Bank Safeguard Policies which requires Swiss Africa Oil Company (SWAOCO) to comply with the World Bank requirements and procedures by preparing the EA Report to be submitted to the World Bank for studying and approval before the Exploration can start in the Keta Lagoon Basin.

Below are excerpts from page 107 of the Environmental Scoping Report which triggered the World Bank Safeguard Policies which makes it mandatory for SWAOCO to prepare the EA report to be discussed with the stakeholders.

“The main project activities that will potentially create environmental and safety concerns include:

1. Operation of the seismic data acquisition equipment; and
2. Setting up of base camps to provide support to the seismic data acquisition operations.

The major environmental including social, occupation/public health and safety issues and impacts associated with the proposed project during implementation will generally include oil spillage, noise nuisance, air pollution, water pollution, occupational and public health/safety risks, sanitation challenges, traffic impacts/public safety concerns, waste management including solid waste management /disposal challenges, and security risk due to the use of explosives. Specific impacts to cultural heritage artefacts, tourism, fisheries, food crops production and transport are key to the proposed project area.”

These are the negative environmental impacts associated with just the Exploration stage of the project which are hidden from the public eyes.

Information have reached us which alleges that EPA is demanding several millions of Ghana Cedis to write a favorable report to white-wash these negative impacts to allay the fears of citizens to be affected in the Contract Area, and to give approval to the whole project after the Exploration in order to avoid the World Bank’s requirements and scrutiny.

Mr. Kofi Humado claimed the Port Harcourt era was gone and technology has changed dramatically in favour of the environment. This is a ruse, deceit and false claim, as between 2007-2014 there were 1,693 Shell oil spills in the Niger Delta alone. Can he mention anywhere in the developing world his new technology is working perfectly?

We take this opportunity to challenge Kojo Agbenor-Efunam, the Deputy Director, Petroleum Department of EPA, to enumerate the benefits that he claimed would inure to over 500,000 people living within the onshore zone of the Contract Area, whose economic and social livelihood would be seriously impacted by the project.

Our political leaders and the elite technocrats in charge of Ghana’s administration are being controlled by the Luciferic forces of evil which breed deceit, greed, selfishness and corruption.

Solomon Kwawukume
Executive Director
CNREM
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