Media must police use of oil and gas resources
The International Institute of ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes) is ready
to roll out a new project on transparency and accountability of
Ghana’s Oil and Gas Industry.
The organization has received funding from STAR-Ghana to implement the project titled “Empowering the media to play an active role over oil and gas revenue and resources.”
This project will on a long term increase the uptake of oil and gas
stories by the Ghanaian media leading to an effective watch-dog role
over Ghana’s oil and gas revenues and resources. This it will do by training
journalists from Ghanaian media houses to undertake investigative and
in-depth reporting which will better inform parliament and citizens to
hold government accountable.
The project will also aim at increasing oil and gas information and
knowledge exchange between the media and CSOs leading to effective
opportunities for national dialogue on key oil and gas revenue
management issues through a collaborative online platform to enhance
advocacy on oil and gas revenues and resources as well as an overall
improvement in relationships between media and civil society in
undertaking a concerted advocacy campaign in the oil and gas sector.
According to Penplusbytes Projects Director, Jerry Sam, “as part of
the project, there will be organization of face to face forums for
journalists and CSOs, mentoring and field trip as well as the
development of media guide on reporting oil and gas stories which will
go a long way in building the capacity of the media to effectively
play their role in educating the public about the oil and gas sector
whiles at the same time holding elected officials to account on Ghana’
s oil and gas revenue management.”
The project is expected to run for two years and during that period 20
Ghanaian journalists are expected to be equipped with specialized
skills to effectively report on oil and gas contracts, licenses,
environmental impact as a result of the industry, reporting on
revenues and financial statements etc.
Penplusbytes in the past couple of years has provided leadership in
training journalists to effectively report on extractive sectors in
both Ghana and Uganda.
