‘WE’LL SPILL BLOOD IF…’

STORY: KORYEKPOR AWLESU FREEMAN

The chiefs and people of Jomoro District in the Western Region are warning of possible blood spillage if an intended gas plant facility set to be sited in Jomoro is moved to Atuabo, a fishing community in the Ellembele District.

According to the chiefs, they smell a rat so far as the new location [Atuabo] is concerned, and therefore cannot fathom why the Ghana Gas Project will not be built at Jomoro.

They pointed accusing fingers at the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Gas Project, Dr. Sipa Yankey, and deputy Minister for Energy and Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembele constituency, Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, of being behind what they described as a ‘unilateral’ decision to take the gas plant project to Atuabo.

The irate chiefs find it difficult to understand why Dr. Yankey and Hon. Kofi Buah, would use their powers and influence to take the gas plant to Atuabo instead of Jomoro which had been originally earmarked by the central government.

That unilateral decision, the chiefs alleged, is mainly because Hon. Kofi Buah hails from Atuabo and only seeks to please the residents of his native town.

The above allegation, Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, in a telephone interview with Today last week Friday denied flatly.

He went on to describe the allegation by the people of Jomoro as ‘baseless and unfounded’ and one which lacked credibility, explaining that the central government had not yet decided on the location of the gas plant in the region.

“The politicization of national project will not help us to promote national development and it is time the opposition elements refrained from peddling falsehood regarding sensitive issues,” he advised.

He therefore called for a collective effort by all key stakeholders in the region to revamp the gas infrastructure in the country in order to meet the increasing demand of the product.

With the support of their chiefs, the disgruntled residents, particularly the youth who numbered about three hundred and came from five adjoining towns staged a protest last Friday at Beyin to register their disquiet against the unilateral decision by Dr. Yankey and Hon. Kofi Buah to move the gas plant to Atuabo.

Clad in red and black T-shirts amid chanting of war songs, the angry demonstrators who wielded placards some of which read: “BRING THE GAS PROJECT BACK TO JOMORO and “WE NO GO SIT DOWN MAKE THEM CHEAT US,” warned of an impending danger should the decision not be averted.

In an interview with Today after the protest, a spokesperson for the group, Mr. Kofi Andoh, vowed that the group would do everything possible to reverse the ‘unfair’ decision.

He also indicated the preparedness of the group to move to Takoradi, the regional capital, and subsequently to the Castle to expose all those involved in the plot to divert the siting of the gas plant to Atuabo.

The group further threatened “to make the place ungovernable until the decision is reversed.”

“We will resist the move to steal our birth right,” he charged and added that, “we will do whatever it takes to frustrate them from having their way in respect of the location of the gas plant.”

The decision, according to him is as a result of the poverty which would increase in the area with the diversion of the gas plant to another district in the region.

“We were excited when we were told that, the project was coming here as we nurtured the hope that, some of us who were unemployed, could secure jobs to reverse and improve on our situation.”

“We believe that, the plot to divert the gas project was orchestrated by Dr. Yankey and Hon. Kofi Buah, but we will fight continually to ensure that, the project is returned to the Jomoro area,” Mr. Kofi Andoh told Today.