Coastal communities need more support – Chief

The paramount chief of the Lower Dixcove Traditional Area in the Western Region Nana Kwesi Agyemang IX who is also the chairperson of the Western Region Coastal Foundation has said that although some concerns of communities affected by the exploitation of oil and gas resources have been addressed by stakeholders in the sector, more needs to be done to mitigate the effect of the exploitation ofn fishing, youth unemployment, high cost of living among others.

According to him, these challenges have been compounded by government’s inadequate attention on the area.

Speaking at a Citizens Advisory Council Public Session in Takoradi, Nana Kwesi Agyemang explained that the Advisory Counsel’s recommendations from previous meetings on some of such problems “have been attended to; bridges have been repaired, some communities now have CHPS compounds, Ghana Gas is taking steps to address flooding in some its host communities, the problems facing the communities are enormous.

He explained that ” the exclusive zones in the sea keeps expanding which restricts fishing or pushes fishermen to go further to find fish. This in turns increases the cost of fishing expeditions. We worry about the increase in youth unemployment, the constant rise in the cost of living, rain floods in our communities as a result of inappropriate drains, our receding coast which is swallowing lands affected and affected many communities… “.

Nana Agyemang IX however asked the government companies to find lasting solutions to these problems “because even though Ghana is touted as a peace loving country, “the potential threat to security becomes real when people do not see changes in their lives in the midst of so much oil revenue.”

Read Full Story