Development pillars for Ghana’s Western Region need strengthening

By Justice Lee Adoboe

   TAKORADI, Oct. 8 (NRGI)-- Although the Western Region is the hen that lays Ghana’s golden egg in many respects, pillars for development in that region need strengthening, stakeholders have consented.

   Deputy Regional Minister for the region,  Alfred Ekwow Gyan told a team of journalists under training at Penplusbytes who visited his office  at Sekondi on Thursday that a lot of resources are needed to  improve the  livelihoods for most of the communities which are affected by the resource extraction I their lands.

   “Western Region is the focal point among all regions in Ghana when it comes to the contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” the deputy minister stated.

   Mining communities such as Tarkwa, Bogoso and Prestea among many mining communities are located in this region. The bulk of the country’s cocoa, timber, and now oil are all from this single region which also plays home to the Aboadze Thermal plant and other thermal plants which support electricity generation in the country.

   However, infrastructure in this same region has been old, outmoded needing  modernization to befit its growing status as Ghana’s economic backbone.

   Due to the nascent oil industry, with the investment opportunities in associated industries, government has been working at improving upon road infrastructure and rail networks especially.

   According to Gyan,   road networks including the Akumanyin Junction to Elubo, with  by-pass to Atuabo where the Ghana Gas Processing Plant is located have been bituminized, while cocoa roads in the region are also receiving the necessary attention, with the port at Takoradi   also seeing expansion to take care of oil and other industry related marine business.

   He however underscored the need to improve the livelihoods of coastal dwellers especially whose livelihoods-mostly fishing are impacted negatively by oil exploration and production.

   According to him, the Western Region Coastal Foundation (WRCF) had been launched to seek resources which would be used in helping to improve the livelihoods of the people.

   A political Scientist, Prof. Amos Anyimadu also supported the call for a more comprehensive look at Western Region’s development.

   He lamented the unrealistic expectations of the people from the oil production, which he believes cannot be met.

   “It is not uncharitable to say that what Ghana has now is an oil field, not an oil industry,” he pointed out, urging that the country adopts a systems approach towards the oil and gas industry.

   Since Takoradi, the Western Regional for instance is going to play a key role in the future development of the country as a whole, Prof. Anyimad, also a development Consultant  said a state sponsored social research needs to be carried out to determine the socio-economic needs of such a city. 

   He underscored the need for the high expectations of the people which has led most young people to seek education in specialized oil and gas areas to be tamed.   End.