Nzema Youth demand involvement in disbursement of oil revenue
A Group calling itself 'Youth for Nzema-Manle Development' (YNMD), which claims it is committed to ensuring total development in the Nzemaland, has reminded government that while the entire people of Nzema-Manle nurture high hopes with regards to the potential economic benefits expected from the oil discovery, they must also be involved in all critical decision taking process.
The group is demanding that preparatory works for the final exploitation of the oil find would involve them (Nzema-manle) in discussing issues such as the environmental impact, employment considerations and disbursement of the oil revenues.
Speaking to the press in Takoradi yesterday, the Spokesperson for YNMD, Mr. Alfred Mensah told the media that the people of Nzema expected that they would be significant beneficiaries of the revenue to be accrued from the production of oil, since they (Nzema-manle) would be affected directly by the harmful effect of the oil production.
Mr. Mensah called for the award of scholarship for the youth of Nzema, infrastructural development such as giving facelift to the Kikam Technical Institute to run oil related courses, as well as establishing Petrochemical factories on Nzemaland, to create job opportunities for the people. The Spokesperson, flanked by his able executives also called for compensation for those whose subsistence would be adversely affected by the drilling of the oil.
“By these, we hope that such measures will provide a certain level of comfort for the people and forestall any likely negative consequences of oil exploitation as happened in other West African countries”. He therefore expressed the hope that the president would consider their plea.
Thanking the President for the honour done the people of Nzema in celebrating the centenary anniversary of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana, the group appealed to the President to consider giving more Ministerial positions to indigenes of the Western region since the bulk of the natural resources sustaining the country's economy are coming from the region.
They appealed to the President to consider re-appointing the former Minister of Health, Dr. George Sipa Yankey, who resigned from the position when he is eventually cleared of any wrong doing in the Mabey and Johnson scandal.