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Reverend Dr Samuel Donkor, President of All Nations University College in Koforidua, has appealed to the government to ensure that proceeds from the oil and gas discovery benefited Ghanaians.
He cautioned against following the bad precedents of some oil producing countries in Africa saying we should see the newly discovered oil and gas as a blessing rather than a curse that would propel the country to a new socio–economic order.
Rev Dr Donkor made the call at the second Oil and Gas Conference of the All Nations University College in Koforidua on Thursday as part of 10 years anniversary celebration of the college.
The event was under the theme: “The oil and gas potential of the sediment in the vast Volta Basin of Ghana, West Africa”.
He said the discovery of oil did not necessary bring prosperity to a nation, but rather the right measures and frame works, including local content that when put in place could help raise the status of a particular nation and the lives of its people.
Rev Dr Donkor said the University is celebrating a decade of innovation, excellence and quality higher education and emphasized the need to meet a number of challenges which include increasing technological advances to enhance the discovery from the oil fields and deep offshore locations, making most of industry resources to lower cost and increase operational efficiency.
He said All Nations University is prepared to make the investments needed to ensure that Ghana copes with the challenges and maximize the opportunities available to train individuals.
The Chancellor of the University College, Daasebre Professor Emeritus Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, emphasized the need for government to focus its attention on onshore exploration.
He said that could be done by the institution of taxation mechanism that aimed at raising revenue for onshore exploration.
Daasebre Oti Boateng emphasized the need to add value to the nation’s resources with the view to creating jobs and raising the standard of living in the country.
Professor Sunday Dada, Vice Chancellor of Salem University in Nigeria, urged the government to take cue from the mistakes Nigeria made when it discovered oil and ignored all other sectors of the economy including agriculture.
He said Ghana should not ignore the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, but develop them with the resources from the oil.
GNA
