By Emmanuel Gamson
Takoradi, March 11, GNA – The Western Nzema Youth League (WNYL), a youth group, has called on the government to commence work on the establishment of the proposed Petroleum Hub in Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region.
Dr Patrick Ekye Kwesie, Leader of the WNYL, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that the delay by the government in establishing the Hub since 2020 was a source of worry for the youth in the area.
According to him, “There is growing despondency among the youth regarding the delayed proposed petroleum hub because they were promised thousands of jobs which have not yet happened.”
He said the WNYL, with support from traditional authorities in the area had toured and sensitised residents in communities within Jomoro on the need to have the hub and the positive impact it would bring to the Municipality.
However, after their full buy-in and cooperation, the project was yet to materialise, he said.
Dr Kwesie noted that: “Some farmers who vacated their lands for the establishment of the hub have been put in a serious situation because they were assured by the operators of the hub to offer them alternative jobs but failed.”
Dr Kwesie, therefore, called on the government and other stakeholders to initiate plans to update the youth on the status of the hub to help calm any agitation among them.
“We want to see the willingness and commitment on the side of the government because as a youth group, we have been able to do the needful to calm our people, but now it is beyond us and we see this to be the usual political deception to win votes,” he stated.
The WNYL Leader Indicated that as a national flagship project, the petroleum hub should be given the necessary attention to see the light of day.
The Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC) was established by an Act of Parliament in 2020 to promote, develop and strategically position Ghana as a petroleum and petrochemical hub in the West African sub-region.
GNA