GHANA yesterday made history, when it finally joined the world’s oil producing nations.
Ghana’s crude, christened Jubilee oil, was outdoored at an impressive ceremony at the Takoradi AirForce Base and on board the vessel FPSO Kwame Nkrumah MV 21.
The much awaited ceremony was witnessed by a cross-section of Ghanaians, including President John Evans Atta Mills and his two predecessors, Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor.
To signify the commencement of the production, President Mills pressed the button to pump the first crude from the Jubilee Field onto the FPSO vessel.
It was an event which marked a watershed in the annals of the country’s history, as the nation has waited with bated breath to see this dream come true.
Speaking on board the vessel, after pressing the button, President Mills said: “Today marks a special day in the lives of Ghanaians, and we have to give thanks to God for giving us this natural resource.”
He said, “There is every cause for Ghanaians to rejoice after a hard search for the oil deposit,” and charged those in leadership to ensure that the oil revenue was used for the benefit of the people to transform the country.
“When a natural parcel is properly utilised, it brings nothing but benefits,” the President said.
The President has indeed, hit the nail right on the head by calling for judicious use of the oil wealth by people in leadership positions.
For a nation which spends a huge chunk of its meagre foreign exchange on importation of crude oil, the production of oil in commercial quantities, should gladden the hearts of all Ghanaians.
However, we need to remind ourselves that failure to protect and utilise, this natural commodity judiciously will cause a lot of problems for the nation.
Nations have gone to war over oil.
In Africa, the oil wealth has led to various conflicts such as the Ogoni crisis in neighbouring Nigeria. It has in many cases turned into a curse than a blessing.
Therefore, we need to jealously protect the resource and use the revenue accruing from it, for the benefit of the nation.
Let it be our fervent prayer that this oil will be a blessing to us, and bring about the progress and development that we are all craving for.
While we are at it, the Times also cautions the government not to focus too much on the crude oil, at the expense of other sectors.
Attention should equally be given to the diversification of the economy and new sources of generating revenue explored.
We strongly advocate that part of the oil wealth should be used to modernise agriculture which has for years been the backbone of the nation’s development.
We hope that the Jubilee partners would execute their work professionally to bail this country out of the economic quagmire.
Finally, we anticipate that this ceremony will re-unite our two former Heads of State, who played a key role towards the realisation of this dream.
Ghana’s crude, christened Jubilee oil, was outdoored at an impressive ceremony at the Takoradi AirForce Base and on board the vessel FPSO Kwame Nkrumah MV 21.
The much awaited ceremony was witnessed by a cross-section of Ghanaians, including President John Evans Atta Mills and his two predecessors, Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor.
To signify the commencement of the production, President Mills pressed the button to pump the first crude from the Jubilee Field onto the FPSO vessel.
It was an event which marked a watershed in the annals of the country’s history, as the nation has waited with bated breath to see this dream come true.
Speaking on board the vessel, after pressing the button, President Mills said: “Today marks a special day in the lives of Ghanaians, and we have to give thanks to God for giving us this natural resource.”
He said, “There is every cause for Ghanaians to rejoice after a hard search for the oil deposit,” and charged those in leadership to ensure that the oil revenue was used for the benefit of the people to transform the country.
“When a natural parcel is properly utilised, it brings nothing but benefits,” the President said.
The President has indeed, hit the nail right on the head by calling for judicious use of the oil wealth by people in leadership positions.
For a nation which spends a huge chunk of its meagre foreign exchange on importation of crude oil, the production of oil in commercial quantities, should gladden the hearts of all Ghanaians.
However, we need to remind ourselves that failure to protect and utilise, this natural commodity judiciously will cause a lot of problems for the nation.
Nations have gone to war over oil.
In Africa, the oil wealth has led to various conflicts such as the Ogoni crisis in neighbouring Nigeria. It has in many cases turned into a curse than a blessing.
Therefore, we need to jealously protect the resource and use the revenue accruing from it, for the benefit of the nation.
Let it be our fervent prayer that this oil will be a blessing to us, and bring about the progress and development that we are all craving for.
While we are at it, the Times also cautions the government not to focus too much on the crude oil, at the expense of other sectors.
Attention should equally be given to the diversification of the economy and new sources of generating revenue explored.
We strongly advocate that part of the oil wealth should be used to modernise agriculture which has for years been the backbone of the nation’s development.
We hope that the Jubilee partners would execute their work professionally to bail this country out of the economic quagmire.
Finally, we anticipate that this ceremony will re-unite our two former Heads of State, who played a key role towards the realisation of this dream.
