Nana Kobina Nketsia
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29th November, 2011
Chiefs Have Been Reduced To Beggars - Nana Kobina Nketsia
The Omanhene of the Essikadu Traditional Area in the Western Region, Nana Kobina Nketsia has said low remuneration for chiefs had reduced the sacred institution to what he described as “beggardom.”
Beggadom, he explained is when you turn yourself into beggars.
He said paramount chiefs in the Western Region are paid a meagre monthly allowance of GH¢150 describing it as woefully inadequate.
The Omanhen said the situation had resulted in chiefs not commanding the respect, dignity and honour that befitted the status of a custodian of the people’s culture and tradition.
Nana Nketsia said this when he addressed a two-day National Stakeholders conference on Oil and Gas in Accra.
The conference was organised by the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) to brainstorm on appropriate and effective ways of utilising revenue accruing from the oil and gas production to make it a blessing for Ghana.
It was on the theme what it takes to make Ghana’s oil and gas resources a Blessing to the people of Ghana” and attracted traditional rulers, trade unionists, workers and the academia.
According to Nana Nketsia poor remuneration for chiefs had placed them at the “back and call” of persons in position of trust, especially politicians, a situation he said did not augur well for the chieftaincy institution.
Touching on the “Community expectation from the oil and gas Industry,” Nana Nketsia called for more education of the people of the Western Region on the oil and gas production.
He said the people of the region felt marginalised and believed that they had done much but were not benefiting from development.
Nana Nketsia noted that the Western Region missed out in the implementation of the Millennium Challenge Account, saying the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) had been initiated to address the development challenges of the three Northern Regions and some parts of Brong-Ahafo and the Volta Regions, Central Regional Development Corporation (CEDECOM) had been instituted to cater for the development needs of the people of the Central Region and called for a similar initiative for the people of the Western Region.
The General-Secretary of the GTUC, Kofi Asamoah said since the discovery of oil and gas in 2007 and production in 2010, his outfit had made submissions on the matter to the government, parliament and the Finance Ministry, all in an effort to ensure that the prudent management of revenue accruing from the oil and gas benefited Ghanaians.
He said the conference was to afford stakeholders the opportunity to come out with suggestion on appropriate ways of ensuring efficient and effective production of oil and gas, transparency and accountability in the utilisation of revenue accruing from the oil industry to.
He Mr. Asamoah called on workers and other stakeholders to show more interest in the oil and gas industry to promote effective management and utilisation of resources to enhance infrastructural development and job creation of the unemployed youth.
The conference discussed the current state of oil and gas exploration, development and production in Ghana, regulatory framework for the oil and gas industry in Ghana, Oil and Gas Revenue Management in Ghana, Environmental issues in Oil and Gas in Ghana and the Tullow Ghana experience in oil and gas industry in Ghana, among others.
Beggadom, he explained is when you turn yourself into beggars.
He said paramount chiefs in the Western Region are paid a meagre monthly allowance of GH¢150 describing it as woefully inadequate.
The Omanhen said the situation had resulted in chiefs not commanding the respect, dignity and honour that befitted the status of a custodian of the people’s culture and tradition.
Nana Nketsia said this when he addressed a two-day National Stakeholders conference on Oil and Gas in Accra.
The conference was organised by the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) to brainstorm on appropriate and effective ways of utilising revenue accruing from the oil and gas production to make it a blessing for Ghana.
It was on the theme what it takes to make Ghana’s oil and gas resources a Blessing to the people of Ghana” and attracted traditional rulers, trade unionists, workers and the academia.
According to Nana Nketsia poor remuneration for chiefs had placed them at the “back and call” of persons in position of trust, especially politicians, a situation he said did not augur well for the chieftaincy institution.
Touching on the “Community expectation from the oil and gas Industry,” Nana Nketsia called for more education of the people of the Western Region on the oil and gas production.
He said the people of the region felt marginalised and believed that they had done much but were not benefiting from development.
Nana Nketsia noted that the Western Region missed out in the implementation of the Millennium Challenge Account, saying the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) had been initiated to address the development challenges of the three Northern Regions and some parts of Brong-Ahafo and the Volta Regions, Central Regional Development Corporation (CEDECOM) had been instituted to cater for the development needs of the people of the Central Region and called for a similar initiative for the people of the Western Region.
The General-Secretary of the GTUC, Kofi Asamoah said since the discovery of oil and gas in 2007 and production in 2010, his outfit had made submissions on the matter to the government, parliament and the Finance Ministry, all in an effort to ensure that the prudent management of revenue accruing from the oil and gas benefited Ghanaians.
He said the conference was to afford stakeholders the opportunity to come out with suggestion on appropriate ways of ensuring efficient and effective production of oil and gas, transparency and accountability in the utilisation of revenue accruing from the oil industry to.
He Mr. Asamoah called on workers and other stakeholders to show more interest in the oil and gas industry to promote effective management and utilisation of resources to enhance infrastructural development and job creation of the unemployed youth.
The conference discussed the current state of oil and gas exploration, development and production in Ghana, regulatory framework for the oil and gas industry in Ghana, Oil and Gas Revenue Management in Ghana, Environmental issues in Oil and Gas in Ghana and the Tullow Ghana experience in oil and gas industry in Ghana, among others.
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