We have been totally neglected by Akufo-Addo's government - Western Region Youth

Western Region is one of the best Regions in Ghana and is blessed with many natural resources such as gold, cocoa, timber, manganese, bauxite rubber and oil and gas but the Region is less developed.

Addressing a press conference held at Nkroful in the Ellembelle Constituency in the Region, the Concerned Youth indicated "The Nzemaland, and by large extension, Western Region, has been blessed with many mineral resources and we all recall the recent discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantities with the oil fields producing about one hundred and sixty-six thousand (166,000) barrels per day while that of gas, one hundred and twenty (120) standard cubic feet per day through Ghana gas with Eni facility expected to produce about one hundred and eighty (180) standard cubic feet of Gas per day through the Eni sanzule project".

According to the youth, many families have been left with stricken poverty, disease driven and many projects including roads leading to the administrative capitals of Evalue Ajomoro, Jomoro and Ellembelle, the birthplace of the first president of the Republic of Ghana and to a large extent, Western Region, are all in a deplorable state.

They however revealed, "We have therefore hoped that with his appointment as the GNPC Board Chairman, many youth of Nzema and the Western Region would be given the opportunity to serve in the oil and gas sector, more of them also being trained here in Ghana or abroad with the requisite knowledge to be able to fit well into the oil and gas industry".

The youth also expressed concerns about how the youth in the Region have been denied job opportunities at the Ghana Gas Company hence has brought hardship on them.

"We are totally devastated and worried about strange manner in which we have been ignored of developmental projects, which could have easily been translated into several job opportunities", they lamented.

They, therefore, called on President Akufo-Addo and the Board Chairman of GNPC, Freddie Blay who comes from Western Region to as a matter of urgency to institute measures that would address some of the challenges facing the area.

"We are therefore calling on H.E the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and the board chairman of GNPC, Mr. Freddie Worsemawu Blay, to as a matter of urgent demand, institute measures that would ensure that; Our collective desires of being employed into the oil and gas sector or other relevant sectors of the economy as they have done so for their families and friends, are not taken for granted, more developmental projects such as roads, schools, hospitals and CHPS compounds must be provided...", they pleaded.

Below is the full statement

PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE YOUTH OF WESTERN REGION

TO DEMAND IMMEDIATE ATTENTION FROM H.E NANA ADDO DANQUAH AKUFO-ADDO AND MR. FREDDIE WORSEMAWU BLAY

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, on behalf of the beloved youth of Western Region, we welcome you to this all-important press gathering to speak to very pertinent issues that are worrying the youth of this part of the country.

Ladies and gentlemen, We the youth of Western Region are in a state of shock about the vindictive nature and manner in which we have been totally neglected by the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and the newly elected National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Mr. Freddie Worsemawu Blay, who also doubles as the Board Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

We have read, that Mr. Frederick Worsemawu Blay, the national chairman, is not an ordinary private citizen but a high ranking public official having been appointed by the President of the Republic of Ghana as the board chairman of the prestigious Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) since last year.

However, for 12 years as a Member of Parliament for Ellembelle Constituency, he told the people of Ellembelle that he had no leverage in Government because he represented the convention people’s party (CPP) and was only in alliance with the New Patriotic Party.

We have therefore hoped that with his appointment as the GNPC Board Chairman, many youth of Nzema and the Western Region would be given the opportunity to serve in the oil and gas sector, more of them also being trained here in Ghana or abroad with the requisite knowledge to be able to fit well into the oil and gas industry.

We were also of the view that our area would have received more social interventions with more schools being put up, factories springing up as they have promised Ghanaians of 1D1F, roads being constructed, clinics and CHPS compounds being provided just to mention but a few.

Lastly, we thought that having had the opportunity to serve in the Region under the ticket of our great grandfather’s CPP Party, in the capacity as former Member of Parliament, rising through the ranks as 1st Deputy Speaker and more to the point, him being a son from the Region, we were going to benefit immensely from his government as well as his enviable position as the board chairman of GNPC.

Contrary to that, the youth of the Western Region under His Excellency nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo led administration are in abject poverty and are left with hopeless life with no employment, vocational and technical support as well as better tertiary education to be able to realise our dreams and aspirations in the richest Region.

As we speak, many families have been left with stricken poverty, disease driven and many projects including roads leading to the administrative capitals of Evalue Ajomoro, Jomoro and Ellembelle, the birthplace of the first president of the republic of Ghana and to a large extent, Western Region, are all in a deplorable state.

We see this whole thing as a calculated scheme by H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and the National Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Freddie Blay to deny the Region and its promising youth of development.

The Nzemaland, and by large extension, Western Region, has been blessed with many mineral resources and we all recall the recent discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantities with the oil fields producing about one hundred and sixty-six thousand (166,000) barrels per day while that of gas, one hundred and twenty (120) standard cubic feet per day through Ghana gas with Eni facility expected to produce about one hundred and eighty (180) standard cubic feet of Gas per day through the Eni sanzule project.

By simple logic, we had hoped that with the coming into force alone of the Atuabo gas plant and the Eni plant would have brought some additions in the employment numbers to our people, this has not been the case. The situation has even worsened as many of our people have been demoted and majority of them being sacked for no apparent reason.

Our checks indicate, that there is an ongoing recruitment at Ghana National Gas Company and we are aware that, there is no single Western youth on the current employment list.

We are totally devastated and worried about strange manner in which we have been ignored of developmental projects, which could have easily been translated into several job opportunities.

We are therefore calling on H.E the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and the board chairman of GNPC, Mr. Freddie Worsemawu Blay, to as a matter of urgent demand, institute measures that would ensure that;

1. Our collective desires of being employed into the oil and gas sector or other relevant sectors of the economy as they have done so for their families and friends, are not taken for granted.

2. More developmental projects such as roads, schools, hospitals and CHPS compounds must be provided.

3. More of our youth be given the opportunity for further studies and to be trained to acquire skills in the relevant oil and gas disciplines.

4. More of our youth be trained in employable vocational and technical skills.

5. Atuabo Harbour be constructed to provide countless employment opportunities for us.

We believe that, if under the auspices of the Westerner, Mr. Freddie Worsemawu Blay, the National Chairman of the NPP, his party is able to secure 275 buses worth $ 11.4 million with an initial personal deposit of $ 3 million for party activities in the various Constituencies across the country at a time when the youth of this richest Region of Ghana are drowning in poverty and hopelessness, his capabilities and his influence in this government would help us achieve our stated demands and even more.

The youth hereby serve notice that, if his Excellency President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo does not put the plights of the Western Region Youth, high on his agenda and to reconsider his position to rightfully give to us, our share of the national cake, in the not too far distant future, we shall vigorously explore other avenues within and without to seek redress, to ensure that we are not cheated and taken for granted by the NPP government and its chairman, Mr. Freddie Worsemawu Blay, since the conduct of the government under the chairmanship of the Former Member of Parliament for Ellembelle Constituency has not only angered the vast majority of us, but has disconcertingly attracted various forms of disapproval from the international community as said by Mr. John Hayward of the united kingdom’s conservative party and untold humiliation upon the youth of the Western Region.

Finally, Unlike before, where they use to tell us, that we are not well educated, now the narrative has changed, as there are more qualified youth with higher education and technical abilities that when given the opportunity by H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and Mr. Freddie Blay, as they have done so for their families and friends, we can prove our usefulness at workplaces as well as in our society.

Thank you.

Long live Ghana!

Long live western Region!

Long live Nzemaland!

Signed!

Suleman Musah (Convener)

Concerned Youth of Western Region (0243502015 / 0205189779)

Amoseh John Jerry (Executive Secretary)

Concerned youth of Western Region (0544113262 / 0509777919)

Isaac Quarm, Research assistant (0540867790)