The people of the Volta Region, the World Bank of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), have always accepted promises of development, as a condition for voting for the Party founded by Jerry John Rawlings, undoubtedly the most prominent son of the soil.
If the Paramount Chief of the Gbi Traditional Area, Togbega Gabusu VI, is to be believed, mere promises would no more be enough to ensure that the ‘World Bank’ delivers on votes in future elections.
According to the Paramount Chief, the NDC had failed to deliver on promises made to the region since the advent of Jerry Rawlings as Head of State, and warned that the region would need concrete evidence of physical development to make it support the NDC at the pools.
Togbega Gabusus said people in the region were becoming uncomfortable with promises made by the NDC, which remain unfulfilled. The Paramount Chief, who is the immediate past President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs, was addressing the 15th “Gbidukorza” festival at Peki-Tsame in the South Dayi District over the weekend, said the only difference between the former and current NDC-led governments was that President Prof. Atta Mills now leads from the front, while formerly, he was the second in command.
He mentioned the eastern corridor roads, which construction has been part of the NDC’s promises since the advent of the Fourth Republican constitutional rule. “Voltarians are fed up with promises that are not fulfilled,” he warned.
The people of the Volta Region, the chief said, trusted in President Mills to deliver, otherwise Voltarians reserved the right to reject the party at the next polls, and warned that the people in the region would not be prepared to accept any apology for non-delivery on promises.
Togbega Gabusu raised the creation of another region out of the present-day Volta Region, which had been flagged a number of times by leading politicians of the NDC tradition, and stressed that if the Volta region is split, it would aid the administration of the area. The immediate past president of the Volta Region House of Chiefs debunked the notion that dividing the region would not make for unity and peace in the administrative area. Those peddling such falsehood, he said, are doing so as a political gimmick to hold back the development of the region.
The Paramount Chief appealed to the government to help minimize the incidence of armed robbery, because the menace created insecurity, and did not give a good image of the country in the eyes of eh international community.
In reaction, the Minister of Roads and Transport, Mr. Joe Gidisu, said the concerns of the paramount Chief would be carried to the appropriate quarters, explaining that the construction of the eastern corridor roads was initiated by the first NDC government of Jerry John Rawlings, which constructed a bridge at Damako in the Nkwanta-North District, before the government was booted out of power in the year 2000.
The Roads Minister assured the people of the region that the eastern corridor roads would open up the region for development, because other link roads would be constructed to link the region to the Northern parts of the country. Mr. Gidisu said as part of the eastern corridor road construction, a new bridge would be constructed at Dorfor-Adidome in the North-Tongu District.
The Minster said the Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku would be closed down in April 2011 for repairs. As a temporary measure, two new pontoons would be provided for the transportation of goods and services.
The Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Joseph Amenowode, who was also not comfortable with Togbega’s statement, assured the chiefs and people of the region that President Mills would not deceive them, and that he would deliver according to his promises.
The Regional Minister assured Togbega that by the end of the term of the current President, he would have provided infrastructure for the region.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Oil pours out at Jubilee Field
Between 20,000 and 80,000 barrels of crude oil are being pumped per day as part of the ongoing test run of equipment at the Jubilee Field.
The quantity will be increased to 100,000 barrels when mainstream production is attained by the end of the first quarter of 2011.
The Head of Economic Evaluation at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr Kwame Ntow, made this known to the Daily Graphic in Takoradi over the weekend.
He said production would increase gradually over approximately six months to a plateau level of 120,000 barrels per day.
Mr Ntow said the first phase of the Jubilee project had been successfully completed for production off the coast of the country at the cost of $3.35 billion.
The cost excludes that for the production platform, the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah, which is currently on lease at $393,000 a day, with an open option to partners for outright purchase after two years.
The FPSO, which is currently receiving the gradual flow of oil, is operated by MODEC, which caters for its maintenance and other activities.
Mr Ntow said there had been some savings on the cost of development and production after the GNPC had pushed for the utilisation of the project, since the blocks were located in the same area.
He said it would have been more expensive if the players had unilaterally been allowed to develop their own fields,
An official source at Tullow, the lead operators of the project, told the Daily Graphic that in-country infrastructure work in Accra and Takoradi was essentially complete for both the project installation and subsequent production.
It said the major sub-sea equipment installation was also completed, including the laying of all flow lines and control umbilicals and the deployment of all sub-sea trees on the Phase I wells for production.
The project is said to be the fastest ever full scale deep water development and a major collaborative effort between the field partners and contractors, both local and foreign.
It is also said to have set a new industry benchmark for the world to follow.
More than 40 kilometres of sub-sea flow lines have been connected to 17 oil production along with water and gas injection wells to the FPSO.
Aside from that, about 28 kilometres of umbilicaIs will control the wells and ensure optimum production, amidst the use of the latest technology.
The partners include the government of Ghana through the GNPC, Tullow Ghana, Cosmos Energy, Anadarko, Sabre and the E.O. Group.
In a related development, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has been assured of constant supply of crude from the Jubilee Field under the domestic supply obligation (DSO) aspect of the contract.
Mt Ntow said TOR would also receive part of a mandatory 18.75 per cent of the crude, made up of five per cent royalty to the State and the State's share of 13.75 per cent through the GNPC as a member of the partners.
He said TOR's agreement in lifting crude oil from other countries would however still hold, noting that the supply from the Jubilee fields would be made available upon request from the refinery at the world market price.
The quantity will be increased to 100,000 barrels when mainstream production is attained by the end of the first quarter of 2011.
The Head of Economic Evaluation at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr Kwame Ntow, made this known to the Daily Graphic in Takoradi over the weekend.
He said production would increase gradually over approximately six months to a plateau level of 120,000 barrels per day.
Mr Ntow said the first phase of the Jubilee project had been successfully completed for production off the coast of the country at the cost of $3.35 billion.
The cost excludes that for the production platform, the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah, which is currently on lease at $393,000 a day, with an open option to partners for outright purchase after two years.
The FPSO, which is currently receiving the gradual flow of oil, is operated by MODEC, which caters for its maintenance and other activities.
Mr Ntow said there had been some savings on the cost of development and production after the GNPC had pushed for the utilisation of the project, since the blocks were located in the same area.
He said it would have been more expensive if the players had unilaterally been allowed to develop their own fields,
An official source at Tullow, the lead operators of the project, told the Daily Graphic that in-country infrastructure work in Accra and Takoradi was essentially complete for both the project installation and subsequent production.
It said the major sub-sea equipment installation was also completed, including the laying of all flow lines and control umbilicals and the deployment of all sub-sea trees on the Phase I wells for production.
The project is said to be the fastest ever full scale deep water development and a major collaborative effort between the field partners and contractors, both local and foreign.
It is also said to have set a new industry benchmark for the world to follow.
More than 40 kilometres of sub-sea flow lines have been connected to 17 oil production along with water and gas injection wells to the FPSO.
Aside from that, about 28 kilometres of umbilicaIs will control the wells and ensure optimum production, amidst the use of the latest technology.
The partners include the government of Ghana through the GNPC, Tullow Ghana, Cosmos Energy, Anadarko, Sabre and the E.O. Group.
In a related development, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has been assured of constant supply of crude from the Jubilee Field under the domestic supply obligation (DSO) aspect of the contract.
Mt Ntow said TOR would also receive part of a mandatory 18.75 per cent of the crude, made up of five per cent royalty to the State and the State's share of 13.75 per cent through the GNPC as a member of the partners.
He said TOR's agreement in lifting crude oil from other countries would however still hold, noting that the supply from the Jubilee fields would be made available upon request from the refinery at the world market price.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Better Ghana Agenda not for only politicians; President Mills tells churches
President John Evans Atta Mills has challenged church leaders to redeem the image of Christianity to promote the 'Better Ghana Agenda'.
According to Joy FM's presidential correspondence, Elvis Adjetey, the President was worried that some religious leaders have recently been reported to have engaged in ungodly acts such as fraud and rape that have dented the image of the Church.
"We as Christians, dare not fail, let us march on as Christian soldiers and fight to redeem the image of the Church. I am therefore appealing to church leaders in particular to lead by example to glorify our Father who is in heaven."
Speaking at a special congregation service of the Global Evangelical Church in Accra on Thursday, the President said the onus lies on religious leaders and their followers to live lifestyles that would promote the 'Better Ghana Agenda'.
"The Better Ghana Agenda should not be left to us politicians, church leaders and indeed the Christian community have an important stake in ensuring that we [achieve the] better Ghana [Agenda]."
According to Joy FM's presidential correspondence, Elvis Adjetey, the President was worried that some religious leaders have recently been reported to have engaged in ungodly acts such as fraud and rape that have dented the image of the Church.
"We as Christians, dare not fail, let us march on as Christian soldiers and fight to redeem the image of the Church. I am therefore appealing to church leaders in particular to lead by example to glorify our Father who is in heaven."
Speaking at a special congregation service of the Global Evangelical Church in Accra on Thursday, the President said the onus lies on religious leaders and their followers to live lifestyles that would promote the 'Better Ghana Agenda'.
"The Better Ghana Agenda should not be left to us politicians, church leaders and indeed the Christian community have an important stake in ensuring that we [achieve the] better Ghana [Agenda]."
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