Special topics
This statement was made in a welcome address by the Mr. Edem Elliot Agbenorwu ,Municipal Chief Executive for Ketu South District Assembly. He emphasized that, the public hearing was first in the series of engagements by the Environmental Protection Agency and that, the event was in response to the Swiss African Oil Company (SWAOCO) scoping report proposing to undertake a seismic survey in order to delineate potential hydrocarbon prospects in the Keta Delta and not drilling of oil.
Mr. Edem Elliot Agbenorwu MCE Ketu South District Assembly
In attendance were the Mr. Edem Elliot Agbenorwu MCE Ketu South District Assembly, Mr. Simon Kwabla, Presiding, member for the assembly, Mr Kojo Effuman,Deputy Director, petroleum at the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), Mr Carl Fiati,Director of natural resources at the EPA,Madam Judith Adjobah Blay, Community Relations Manager at the Petroleum Commission among other officials of the EPA and Petroleum Commission
Mr. Kojo Agbenor-Efunam, presented on behalf of the EPA stressing the resolve of the agency in the maintenance of the ecosystem, ecological processes,sound management of natural resources, the environment, protection of humans, animals, plants,their habitat and guidance for healthy environmental practices
Mr. Kojo Agbenor-Efunam on environmental impact assessment
Recently, a group, Keta Municipal Vegetable Farmers and Marketers Association took to the streets of Anloga in the Municipality to oppose the use of the 3,000-square- kilometer-basin for the planned onshore exploration activities which they feared would be unfavourable to them.
With inscriptions such as ‘Keta Basin was designed by God for Shrimp farming,’ ‘Oil Exploration will destroy our fragile ecosystem,’ No Niger Delta Militancy in Anloland,’ among others, they sought to relate the yet-to-happen Keta Delta to Nigeria’s Niger Delta situation where crude oil exploration and drilling activities by Shell company adversely affected the inhabitants.
PenPlusBytes www.reportingoilgas.org will bring the general public up to speed with the public hearing .The public are encouraged to follow Facebook and Twitter handles @penplusbytes @oilgasghana with the hashtag, #ketaoil to contribute to the discussions.
