Nzemas Want Free Port Project Started

The Nzema Youth for Peace and Development (NYPD), has called for work to begin on the Free Port Project sited at Atuabo in the Ellembelle district of the Western Region in order to promote socio-economic activities in the area. The NYPD expressed the concern of the people over the delay in implementing the project, saying valuable properties like farm lands had been destroyed to pave way for the construction of the project, while they were facing challenges in the fishing industry which had been their main source of livelihood. This, according to them, had rendered the people unemployed. Addressing a press conference at Anochie, Mr Abizi Morkeh, President of the NYPD, flanked by his executive members, said the only alternative was for the project to start to offer jobs for the indigenes. He gave the assurance that the area had skillful people who would qualify for jobs in the free port project. He said the unskillful ones were feverishly upgrading themselves in various fields in order to qualify for jobs in the sector. Mr Morkeh said the people would ensure that management of the proposed Free Port project would implement the Local Content policy to the letter when work began. The President noted that the Atuabo Free Port project would offer Ghana a strategic opportunity to become a regional hub for support services in the West Africa sub-region, as it would support the Oil/Gas industry. The project, when completed, would also open up the area to the international market and that would impact positively on their socio-economic activities. Mr Morkeh, therefore, expressed worry about the five members of Parliament who had taken legal action against the establishment of the project for the reason that it would compete with the operations of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) at the Takoradi port. He said the establishment of the port would not pose a threat to the survival and viability of the Takoradi port, but rather complement the work in the Oil/Gas industry. The President, therefore, urged the five New Patriotic Party MPs to rescind their decision of seeking an appeal after losing the first legal battle to enable the project take off. He described the action by the MPs as “blockers of decentralization and national Project”. He mentined the MPs as Mr Kwaku Kwarteng, Obuasi West, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Takoradi, Mr Joseph Cudjoe, Effia, Madam Hawa Koomson Ewutu Senya East and Mr Kofi Brakop Tema Central. The Atuabo Free Port has four distinct areas with the development to create a one stop shop for the Oil and Gas industry. They include logistics base to support the supply chain off shore platform, provision of a sub sea fabrication, oil rig and support vessel repair base and business support infrastructure. The government has 10 percent shares in the project, while Lonrho and Ghana Equity Investor Group have 35 percent each, with other institutions having 20 percent.

Source: GNA