CHROG sensitizes communities on oil and gas issues

The Coalition on Human Rights, Oil and Gas (CHROG) has undertaken community sensitization and education on human rights implications of oil and gas exploration and production in six districts of the Western Region.

Dr Steve Manteaw, Chairman of the CHROG, announced at a press conference at Sekondi at the weekend.

The districts are the Jomoro, Ellembelle, Ahanta West and Shama Districts as well as the Nzema East Municipality and the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, he said.

Dr Manteaw said some major human rights concerns that were brought to the attention of the coalition included Livelihood Insecurity arising from declining catch of fishermen in the wake of restrictions imposed on their fishing rights.

He said fishermen in the frontline of oil districts appear to have reasonable difficulties in complying with the restrictions imposed on them as the 500 meters off-fishing radius is difficult to appreciate without a physical demarcation of the zone.

Dr Manteaw said most of the communities, especially those in the urban areas of the region, complained of rising cost of living as a result of the inward migration mostly in search of opportunities in the emerging oil and gas sector.

He said communities in the Nzema area complained about discrimination in the selection of candidates for training and job placement and called for an investigation into allegations that Tullow Oil trained some Ghanaians out of which none were Nzemas.

Dr Manteaw said the various community groups and individuals who took part in the sensitization durbars have agreed to constitute themselves into human rights monitoring teams and work closely with CHROG and the Legal Resources Centre for the protection of community and individual rights in the oil and gas industry.

Source: GNA