By Emmanuel Gamson
Beyin (W/R), April 14, GNA – Dr Toni Aubynn, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), says the Petroleum Hub project is a driver of government’s industrialisation agenda.
He said government would, therefore, do everything within its capacity to ensure the project came to fruition.
Dr. Auybnn assured the chiefs and people of the Western Nzema Traditional Area in the Jomoro Municipality of government’s commitment to ensuring the Petroleum Hub project see the light of day.
The CEO gave the assurance when he led a team from the PHDC to pay a courtesy call on Awulae Annor Adjaye III, President of the Western Nzema Traditional Council, and his members at Beyin in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region.
The visit was to formally introduce himself as the new CEO of the PHDC and seek the chiefs’ support to ensure the realisation of the project.
Dr Aubynn said the visit was part of his resolve to undertake broader stakeholder engagement and full local participation in decision-making to help bring progress towards the construction of the Hub.
He said: “We want to assure you that the President is keen on this project, and he has tasked us to ensure that it leaves the drawing board so that it will eventually create jobs for the people and bring development to the people of Jomoro.”
The CEO stated that the project when completed, would position Ghana as a strategic energy hub in Africa, while bringing socio-economic growth to the local people.
On the issue of compensations, Dr Aubynn stated that that had been one of the challenges of the project, however, the Corporation was working assiduously to secure funding to settle the affected individuals for a smooth take-off of the Petroleum Hub project.
He, thus, appealed to the chiefs to support the Corporation to take the necessary actions to accelerate the development of the hub for long-term benefits to the Jomoro and the country in general.
Nana Avo Nwia, Chief of Tikobo No 2, on behalf of Awulae Annor Adjaye III, expressed the Council’s full support for the project, and expressed confidence in Dr Aubynn and his team to devise appropriate mechanisms to ensure the realisation of the hub.
He said: “The chiefs of Western Nzema are ready to support you to bring progress towards the development of the project, and so whatever you and your team will need to execute the project, we will gladly help you.”
Meanwhile, he clarified that lands earmarked for the construction of the Petroleum Hub were strictly owned by the stools, and not for individual families as being suggested by some people.
The clarification was in response to some claims that certain individuals were against the commencement of the Petroleum Hub project on the basis that the said lands were family-owned
Nana Nwia, however, categorically rejected such claims, and said the stools held the lands in the trust of the people, adding that; “We are the custodians of the lands, and we will rally behind you so that the project can be developed to bring jobs to our teeming youth.”
Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in August last year, cut the sod for the first phase of the project, however, work was yet to commence on the US$12 billion-Petroleum Hub project at Nawule, in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region.
The first of three phases of the Integrated Petroleum Complex would consist of a refinery with a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day (bpd), a cutting-edge petrochemical plant with 90,000 bpd capacity, 3,000,000 cubic metres of storage tanks, and a jetty with port infrastructure.
GNA
MSM/CA