Impact of extraction of oil in the life of the people of Ghana
In the countries of West Africa Ghana is one of the major sources of crude oil production nearing a rate of 50,000 to 80,000 barrels per day according to Association of Ghana Industry (AGI) Ghana is the net exporter of petroleum gas as well as importer of net importer of petroleum products. They agreed that is has enough oil to meet the requirement of its market needs but did not manage to meet its energy needs simply because of the energy needs of its own continent.
If they are going to undertake the possibility drilling into the offshore jubilee field they can produce at least 240,000 barrels by 2014. Jubilee has brought Ghana into the limelight of oil production. If they are going to concentrate on the large revenue that the country will garner from the oil industry Ghana will obtain very large annual revenue of at least 5.5 million U.S. dollars or 1.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) or about 6 percent of annual revenue in 2011. This revenue is expected to increase every year since the production continues to grow rapidly. This will result in additional job employment in the people of Ghana and more roads and infrastructure will take place.
These are among the underlying benefit than the people of Secondi-Takorandi, Ghana has benefited.
The governing laws of oil extraction consist of partnership of foreign nationalities like the United States of America they are allowed to operate in partnership with GNPC production sharing agreement.
However the worrying damage of oil spill in this country has an alarming need for conservation and protection of its natural resources. It has been reported that oil spills that can damage both people and the eco system is widespread. It was reported that last December of 2009 that kosmos spills over 700 barrels of a substance containing mixture of oil and mud. After that another oil spill of about 37 liters of oil last January of 2010 was again reported as a result of broken pipelines. This has cost a threat in the life of the people and their livelihood. Rivers and land are highly affected by some oil spills that results in non production of crops and fishes. Farmers and fishermen have lost their income and many villagers have died near the oil extraction areas. The Flora and Fauna have lost its touch while animals struggle for a place to live. The oil spill has totally polluted their land.
This are just a result that shows the beginning of the industrialization if oil production. It is therefore imperative for the country to enact a law that will regulate and penalize such a neglectful act. Dangerous oil spillage should be stopped. People are asking the (EPA) Environmental Protection Agency to act and regulate the oil industry in Ghana.
Sheila Ashong Program officer of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said “It is the people who owns the resource and therefore should be the one to get involved in every level of decision
Dr Francis K. Ewusie Nunoo, Head of the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries and leader of the group, stressed the need for government to take environmental and social concern of the oil find seriously since activities in the extractive industries could have far-reaching effects on the entire society. On making with regard to the oil finds”.
According to Stephen Yeboah from the department of planning Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana, government should not focus on the revenue that they can get from the oil industry if they viable and potent legal framework is not met. Or the country will suffer the same consequence like from the Nigeria, Gabon and Angola. In these countries a case of oil production and consumption have triggered a controversy that starts civil war and tensions. They must uphold a strong law that will prosecute such criminal liable individual to stop the continuous suffrage they have experienced.
Nevertheless reports have showed that the draft bill for the oil sector is now under the scrutiny of the Attorney General. So that Ghana will have a strong hope that the framework of underlying the law and provisions will have its way to deal with the anomalies of the oil extraction sector will be regulated
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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