Maintain good rapport with host communities — Zeal
The Chief Executive Officer of Zeal Environmental Technologies, a wholly Ghanaian-owned oil and gas and industrial waste management company, Mr Kwaku Ennin, has called on companies operating in communities to always maintain a good rapport with their host communities.
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He said in some cases, social and industrial unrests could be attributed to the breakdown in communications between companies and their host communities after the companies had obtained their first social licence to operate.
Mr Ennin made the call when the company, which has been operating at the Shama Industrial Enclave since 2009, partially shut down its operations in order to interact with the chiefs and people of Nyankrom, near Shama in the Western Region and reassure them of its commitment to prudent environmental management.
At the ceremony, the company took the community through its waste management processes - from the collection to separation and how each waste is managed.
It also took them through various processes of handling hazardous and non-hazardous waste and how each waste generated from offshore is handled.
The CEO said the company’s waste was a raw material for another company, therefore it was important to ensure that waste generated offshore or domestically was not hazardous.
He urged members of the community to approach the community relations officers and the communications consultants with their suggestions to promote a better relationship with the company.
Environment
The General Manager of the company, Mr Winfred J. Bantum, said one of its prime focuses as an indigenous company was the strict adherence to safe environmental protection and the safety of workers at the workplace.
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He explained the dangers associated with the use of barrels and other empty chemical containers by saying, “You may have been using this in your homes in the past for water, but the truth of the matter is that the containers are hazardous and must not be used as water storage facilities in homes.”
Question time
Members of the community asked questions about how after treatment, water was discharged and the standard that they followed to ensure safe environment.
In response, the general manager explained how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supervised their operations regularly to ensure that they maintained the highest standards.
EPA and Environmental Health
Officials of the Environmental Protection Agency commended the company for organising the meeting to interact with the people many years after it had obtained its social licence.
An official of the agency, Mr George Deawuo, assured the people that the mission of the agency was to co-manage, protect and enhance the country’s environment as well as seek a solution to global environmental issues.
“It is therefore gratifying to know that a Ghanaian company is not only respecting the rules but also ensures that there is constant engagement with its hosts,” he said.
Members of the community and the Shama District Assembly commended the company for its social responsibility, which has led to several development projects for the area.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Enoch Kojo Appiah, urged the company and community to ensure social and industrial harmony and indicated that the company was located in an industrial enclave, which must not be encroached upon to ensure that more companies moved to the area to develop it and ensure jobs for the people.