Western regional chiefs call for more Interactions with Petroleum Commission
The President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohor Yaw Gyebi II, has advised industry and upstream oil and gas companies to make stakeholder engagement a critical part of their operations.
Speaking at the Petroleum Commission’s annual stakeholder engagement with members of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, he said the interactions remain the process by which companies involve people who may be affected by the decisions they make and be abreast with implementation of its mitigation decisions.
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He commended the upstream industry regulator for the institution of interactions and called for more development support for the region, adding that with the bad historical precedent of a region rich in natural resources but lagging in development, regular interactions are key.
The annual interaction
The annual forum was instituted by the commission to engage with its major stakeholder, the House of Chiefs, to provide the opportunity to update them on completed projects, ongoing projects and related activities in the upstream petroleum sector.
The interactions also create a platform for the international oil companies (IOCs) to share with the traditional leaders on their philanthropic projects and initiatives in the region and to receive feedback.
Unique role of chiefs
The Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Egbert Faibille Jnr., said traditional rulers in the region play unique roles in the development of the region and the national development discourse.
The engagement, he said, provides the opportunity to listen to the concerns of the chiefs and their community members regarding oil and gas activities as the regulator and other stakeholders work towards industry success.
Through the interactions with stakeholders, especially the chiefs in the region, who he said make contributions of raising critical issues of contemporary relevance to the region as well as communities in the oil and gas enclave.
Sharing ideas
“From the side to side interactions we provide and share ideas, with the view of improving on our socio-economic performance,” he said, adding that the UNDP acknowledges that “Local governments are critical in turning Agenda 2030 from a global vision into a local reality. And local communities and stakeholders, who know the individual and collective needs and capacities best, are critical partners in implementing and realigning our global accord.”
The Petroleum Commission, he said agrees that its national mandate of managing the sustainable exploitation of oil and gas for the benefit of all Ghanaians, is a shared responsibility and will only be achieved through the concerted efforts of all strategic international, national and local partners.
Traditional rulers
As a regulator, he said the PC understands that it is the traditional rulers who are best placed to understand the needs and aspirations of the people, the challenges of the local environment, and the dynamics of the different groups living in the local environment.
The commission, he said believes that an enduring partnership with the Regional House Chiefs and other key stakeholders in the region is the surest way of ensuring that the desired level of development for the region is achieved.
“For this partnership to be sustained and yield positive results, it would require our institutions to work together, guided by principles of trust, openness, accountability and engagement”, he said.
The chiefs also took the opportunity to ask questions on industry operations and of ongoing activities in the region, as well as how to collaborate to advance the growth of the region.
