General News of Sunday, 16 June 2019
Source: citinewsroom.com
2019-06-16
DCE for Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzoh
Junior High School leavers who sat for the just ended Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) from the petroleum enclaves of the Western Region, have been advised to pick science and mathematics programmes as they progress to be relevant in the Petroleum industry.
The District Chief Executive of Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzoh, who was speaking at a Quantum Terminals-organized send-off for the 2019 BECE leavers in the Atuabo Circuit, told Citi News this would help locals get opportunities in the petroleum companies in the enclave, and end the usual complaints of locals not getting employment.
The Ellembelle District has in recent times become commercially active as a result of being the host to several petroleum companies including the ENI’s Gas Receiving facility at Sanzule, the Atuabo Gas Processing plant, Quantum Terminals’ Anokyi LPG facility among others. Despite the numerous job opportunities that come with these companies, the usual complaints by locals is that they do not get jobs in the sector.
The DCE for Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzoh, addressing a Quantum Terminal’s send-off for 167 BECE leavers at Atuabo said the time for locals to take advantage of the petroleum industry by pursuing relevant courses is now.
“We are urging the youth at this time the oil is being produced to take every single advantage of the opportunities that are presented as a district that is hosting oil and gas companies because oil and gas resources are finite products which would be exported. The average lifespan of an oil well is between 25 to 30 years, so we are urging the youth to take every opportunity the oil companies grant them especially through education training in science and technology courses. This is how they can fully participate in the oil and gas industry because in the next four to ten years, we want to see a lot of our people adequately equipped with skills to benefit from the industry.”
On what oil companies are doing to support the skills development of locals to become useful in the petroleum companies, Quantum Terminals, operators of the Anokyi LPG facility, which has over 50 per cent of its current employees being locals, said it has since 2014 supported BECE candidates in their preparation and during their exams.
The Terminal Manager of Quantum, Innocent Eddah, told Citi News that besides refurbishing the adopted Anokyi JHS and building teachers’ quarters, it has also provided each student with the requisite textbooks and paid special allowances to teachers for extra classes.
He said Quantum has also together with Ghana Gas built teachers’ quarters and a nursery at Asemda community.
Mr. Eddah explained that it is in their own interest to employ more locals, therefore their support to students at the basic level is to make them employable in the shortest possible time.
