Maintain good rapport with host communities - ZTL
The Chief Executive Officer of Zeal Environmental Technologies, a wholly own Ghanaian oil and gas and industrial waste management company, Mr Kweku Ennin, has called on companies operating in communities to always maintain good rapport with their host communities.
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He said in some cases, social and industrial unrests could be attributed to breakdown in communications between companies and their host communities after obtaining their first social license to operate.
Mr Ennin made the call when the company, which was operating at the Shama Industrial Enclave for more than half a decade, partially shut down its operations in order to interact with chiefs and people of Nyankrom to reassure them of its commitment to prudent environmental management.
At the ceremony, the company, which started operation in the area since 2009, took the community through its waste management processes - from pickup to separation and how each waste was finally managed.
It also took them through various process of handling hazardous and non-hazardous waste process and how each waste generated from offshore since the inception of the process was managed.
The CEO said what was waste to the company was a raw material for another company and therefore it was important to ensure that waste generated from offshore or domestically was not seen as anything bad.
He urged members of the community not to hesitate to approach each community relation officers and the communication consultants to make their suggestions and views known to them for a better relationship.
“It is important to note that, communications and constant interactions are very important to our survival as company’s aim and support for the community,” he said.
Environment
The General Manager of the company, Mr Winfred J. Bantum said, one of its prime focuses as an indigenous company was the strict adherence to safe environmental protection and also safety of workers at the work place.
He said many of the items brought from offshore such as drums and other hazardous chemical containers were crushed to ensure that they do not find their way into the communities to be used as water storage facilities.
“Every international oil company, including the Jubilee Partners, aside handing its waste for management, wants to ensure that the waste does not find its way into the communities to be used domestically or otherwise,” he said.
He took time to explain the dangers associated with the use of barrels and other forms of containers saying, “You may have been using this from in our homes in the past for water, but the truth of the matter is the containers are hazardous and must not be used as water storage facilities in homes.”
Questions time
Members of the community took time to ask questions about how water after treatment was discharged and the standard that they followed to ensure safe environment.
In response the general manager took time to explain the standard and how the companies whose waste they managed, the environmental health from the assembly and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) audit their operation regularly to ensure standards were maintained.
“I must say that aside the planned visit for audit purposes, all these regulators visit our facilities unannounced to take their samples for analysis therefore we don’t compromise on anything, as Zeal as a company also employ sthe services of independent audit backed by its team of engineers in the laboratory and the field for best standards” he explained.
EPA-Env. Health
Officials of the Environmental Protection Agency commended the company for organizing such an interaction to reengage with the people many years after obtaining its social license.
An official of the agency, Eng. George Deawuo assured the people that, the mission of the agency was to co-manage, protect and enhance the country’s environment as well as seek common solution to global environmental issues.
“It is therefore gratifying to know that a Ghanaian company is not only respecting the rules but also ensures that constant engagement with its hosts,” he said.
Members of the community and the Shama District Assembly commended the company for its social responsibilities, which has led to several development projects for the area.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Enoch Kojo Appiah, urged the company and the community to ensure social and industrial harmony and indicated that the location of the company was an industrial enclave that must not be encroached upon to ensure that more companies move to the area for development and job for the people.
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