Company gets approval to begin oil, gas exploration in Keta Basin

The government and Parliament have given approval to the Swiss Africa Company to begin the exploration of oil and gas in the Keta Basin.

An agreement between the government and the company to pave the way for actual exploratory work to begin has already been signed.

The President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who announced this at a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Anlo State in Keta last Saturday, said with the approval, the company would soon start operations.

He indicated that the oil and gas project was among the many projects the government would use to transform the fortunes of the people of the area. 

“The advantage of oil and gas exploration is that it requires services, and so if oil and gas is taking place within the territorial area of the Keta Basin and the southern Volta, then it means the facilities that service that exploration will be established here and can create jobs for our young people in this area,” he said.

Discussions on development

Before the durbar, the President and his entourage, including the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho; the Minister of Transport, Mr Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey; the Minister of the Interior, Mr Prosper Bani, and the Volta Regional Minister, Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso, had closed-door discussions with the members of the Anlo Traditional Council.

The discussions centred on development projects both the government and the traditional council believed could improve  livelihoods and the economic prosperity of the people of southern Volta.

Southern Volta Basin Development Authority 

President Mahama said the government had decided to set up the Southern Volta Basin Development Authority, adding that currently the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) was working on its establishment.

He said the government would set up an implementation committee to demarcate the geographical area that fell within the authority and prepare legislation to be sent to Parliament.

“As a result, we have included it in my manifesto for 2017-2020. And so this authority is going to be in the NDC manifesto for the November 7 elections,” he said.

Deep sea port

The President further said the government was to start a feasibility study for the establishment of a deep sea port in Keta, adding that in the meantime, it was working hard to start work on the 11 identified landing sites being financed with a China Development Bank loan. 

Keta town roads, he said, had been awarded on contract and, therefore, work would soon commence.

He said southern Volta had vast prospects in agriculture, tourism, aqua-culture, agri-business, rice farming and salt production and, therefore, called for private partnerships to create the needed economic prosperity.

He called the chiefs to help the government to resolve the issue of land tenure which had become a major hindrance to the development of the area.

President Mahama asked the Awomefia of the Anlo State, Togbui Sri, to assist in identifying private sector investors and also ensure that they got access to land without litigation to establish businesses for the people.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Awomefia thanked President Mahama for his interest in the region and pledged to support the development of his area in peace.