The commissioning of incomplete Ezinlibo Naval Forward Operations Base by NPP government

It has come to our attention that the Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, plans to visit Ezinlibo in the Jomoro Municipality on Thursday, 5th December 2024, to commission the Ezinlibo Naval Forward Operations Base (FOB). This base is far from operational, and the rushed commissioning is a grave concern to the people of Ezinlibo and surrounding communities, including Allowuley and Allenzule.

Background to the Project
The Naval Forward Operations Base (FOB) at Ezinlibo was conceived under the visionary leadership of the late President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, and his then Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, in 2010. The idea for this project was spearheaded by the then Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lt. Gen. Peter Augustine Blay, who saw the need to provide such a base to enhance security over Ghana’s emerging oil industry. For this, President Nana Akufo Addo commended him during the sod-cutting ceremony at Ezinlibo in 2019.

The Atta Mills government accepted the proposal and commenced feasibility studies, including securing funds. The Mahama administration furthered these efforts with comprehensive feasibility and impact assessments. Construction of the FOB began under the NPP government in 2019. While significant work has been done on the land-based aspects—mainly accommodation for naval personnel—the operational component, which focuses on the base’s essential naval capabilities at sea, remains only 15% complete. As it stands, the base cannot be used and should not be commissioned in its current state.

Concerns of the Ezinlibo Community
We, the people of Ezinlibo and its neighboring communities, are deeply troubled by the sudden rush to commission a project that is far from completion. The NPP government is concentrating on finishing the accommodation facilities while leaving the core of the naval base—sea defense and operational capabilities in a limbo .

Naval bases are designed to protect and secure territorial waters, not merely provide accommodation on land. Yet, the operational facilities needed for our Navy to protect Ghana’s coastline and oil resources remain in limbo. It is alarming that a government claiming to prioritize national security would engage in what appears to be a desperate political move to score points ahead of the general election. This hasty attempt to commission incomplete facilities insults the intelligence of the Nzema people and Ghanaians in general, who have waited patiently for this project to be completed.

Broken Promises
This is not the first time the NPP has attempted to deceive the people of Nzema. In 2016, ahead of the general election, the NPP promised to build cassava and fertilizer factories in Nzema, alongside $1 million per constituency. None of these projects materialized. In 2020, just before the election, Dr. Bawumia cut sod for the Samenye-Jaway Wharf road in a grand ceremony attended by our paramount chiefs and respected elders. Today, that road remains in deplorable condition. The promise of a Petroleum Hub, also launched with much fanfare, remains an unfulfilled fantasy with no budget, feasibility studies, or impact assessments.

Now, once again, Dr. Bawumia and the NPP government are rushing to commission a project that is nowhere near completion and unfit for purpose. Contractors are being pressured to hastily complete access roads within the base—roads that are being poorly constructed just for show. These attempts are nothing but another deceitful tactic aimed at misleading the Nzema people and Ghanaians.

Incomplete Project, Disregard for Environmental Impact on Community

Let us be clear: only 15% of the FOB project has been completed. The main operational base, including the crucial sea defense and naval base, is standstill. We ask the government—what exactly is being commissioned? The accommodation blocks? The hastily constructed access roads? Or is it the incomplete operational facilities where no Navy personnel can work effectively?

Moreover, the ongoing construction has caused significant damage to our communities. Houses, rivers, and cemeteries (important cultural heritage sites) have been destroyed, yet the government has ignored our repeated calls for attention. The project’s impact assessment recommended the construction of a sea defense to protect the livelihoods and properties of surrounding communities such as Ezinlibo, Agyeza, and Allegezule, but these recommendations have been entirely disregarded.

Conclusion
We, the people of Nzema, will not be deceived again. We are demanding answers from the government:

1. What exactly is being commissioned on December 5th, 2024?

2. Why has the core operational base, which is essential for the Navy to protect our sea and oil resources, been left incomplete?

3. Why has the government failed to address the environmental and cultural damage caused by the construction?

4.Why has the government not repaired the Ezinlibo township roads leading to the operational site, which have been damaged by the heavy trucks involved in the construction?

5. Why has the government failed to fulfill its corporate social responsibility commitments to the affected communities?

We call on the media and the general public to visit the site and see for themselves. This project, in its current state, is a mockery of the NPP’s promises to protect Ghana’s territorial waters. Commissioning an incomplete project is nothing more than a political gimmick aimed at winning votes. This rushed effort, leaving critical operational facilities unfinished, will only lead to financial losses for the state as Navy personnel will be stationed without being able to carry out any meaningful operations.

The Nzema people are enlightened, vigilant, and will not fall for these cheap political tricks. We demand an end to this charade and call for the proper completion of the Forward Operations Base—one that will truly serve the people of Ghana and protect our coastline and oil resources.

Signed,
Joel Samuel Ndede
Spokesperson , Concerned Citizens of Ezinlibo