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Firms convert seaweed, clay into raw material
Mr Faibille addressing the House
The Petroleum Commission, in partnership with Tullow Ghana Limited (TGL), has transformed the Sargassum seaweed into a raw material for the production of ovens in fishing communities in the Western Region.
The Ahoto ovens are environmentally-friendly and also promote good fish hygiene and preservation.
It also seeks to enhance energy efficiency, enhance job creation, and improve the local economy and profitability of the project.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Petroleum Commission (PC), Mr Egbert Faibille Jnr, announced the innovation at the eighth edition of the PC-Western Regional House of Chiefs annualmeeting at Sekondi, on Monday.
The event was to update the House on the upstream petroleum activities and social investment in the Western Region.
The Sargassum seaweed, MrFaibille noted, hitherto, was a public nuisance that hindered fishing activities and endangered livelihoods of fisher folk along some coastal beaches in Ghana.
He stated “I am glad to announce that hydrofoam bricks made from a mixture of processed seaweed and clay are being produced in Axim and used to construct Ahoto fish ovens, used by our fish processors.”
Mr Faibille said, by the end of 2023, about 100 ovens would be distributed to fishmongers in all the seven coastal metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the Western Region.
He assured the Commission would ensure the implementation of social investment to benefit oil host communities in the Western Region.
He told the House that, upon the request of the Bakanta Royal Stool, the Commission gave approval for ENI, as part of its local content obligations, to asphalt the 3.2km Sanzule-Old and New Bakanta road in the Ellembelle District.
This is to check flooding and improve road networks in the Sanzule area, Mr Faibille explained.
On the Exclusive Zone demarcated for safety at sea, he commended the fisher folk for observing restrictions at the 500-metre area, leading to drastic reduction in incursion rates.
“It is gratifying to note that year-on-year, the rate of incursions around petroleum facilities reduced from 36 in September, 2022, to 11, same period in 2023, representing about 69 per cent decrease,” the CEO explained.
He said, a dispute resolution committee comprising the Ghana Navy, Canoe Fishermen Council, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exploration and production companies and the Commission would be formed.
That, he added, would promote peaceful co-existence between the security services, upstream operators and other users of the marine space.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Sekondi
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
