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Oil-producing communities in Western Region to benefit from sea defense and social projects – Prez Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has assured that coastal communities in the Western Region affected by oil and gas activities will see direct improvements in infrastructure, sea defense, and social services under his next development agenda.
The president made it clear that the discovery of petroleum in the region must be a blessing and not a burden.
He stated that towns like Essiama and Anochie, located in the oil-producing enclaves, would benefit from better roads, bridges, schools, health facilities, and agribusiness support as part of the government’s commitment to inclusive development.
He explained that the government is expanding sea defense projects along the coast to protect fishing communities from tidal wave erosion.
These efforts, he noted are also aimed at preserving marine livelihoods and supporting the coastal economy.
President Mahama revealed that the government will establish a dedicated oil and gas services hub at the Takoradi Port through a public-private partnership.
He said the expansion of the port would include new container terminals and dry bulk facilities to boost exports and reduce delays for vessels.
He added that the (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations, 2013 (L.I. 2204) would be strengthened to ensure young people in the Western Region gain access to petroleum jobs, contracts, and technical training.
The president also announced that the Ministry of Energy had been directed to renegotiate land arrangements with landowners around the planned petroleum hub.
He said the government will release unused portions of land back to communities and pay compensation for land that will be used, starting with 5,000 hectares instead of the initially acquired 20,000 hectares.
He stressed that oil wealth must translate into better living conditions for the people whose lands and livelihoods are affected by exploration and production activities.
Jacob Aggrey
News
Parents urged to take responsibility for sex education
Dr Francis Wuobar, A Gynaecologist at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua, has urged parents to take the lead in providing sex education to their children, stressing that they were in the best position to guide them through the changes of adolescence.
According to him, sex education remained a taboo subject in most Ghanaian homes, a culture that must change to prevent children from seeking misleading information elsewhere.
“With the evolving nature of society and technological advancements, today’s children will either learn about sex on the internet or from their peers, who may offer wrong advice,” he cautioned.
Dr Wuobar noted that the health system and society often concentrate on the reproductive stage of life, neglecting the adolescent and menopausal phases.
“When a woman reaches the reproductive period and gets pregnant, everyone rallies around her. But before that stage, during adolescence, there is little attention and guidance, which has contributed to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy,” he explained.
He further observed that many adolescents lack access to counselling and adolescent clinics, creating a vacuum that forces them to explore on their own.
“The answers they seek, adults and parents are not willing to provide. Their peers, who are equally uninformed, become their only source of advice. This exploration is one of the major contributors to teenage pregnancy,” he elaborated.
Dr Wuobar, therefore, called on parents to create open and confidential spaces for discussion, where children can freely ask questions about sex, puberty, and relationships.
Moreover, he emphasised that parents must help adolescents understand the consequences of unprotected sex, the changes they go through, and what choices were right or wrong.
“Today’s generation is curious and asks questions, unlike in the past when children were silent. Parents should not rebuke them but rather engage them seriously and guide them through this turbulent stage,” he advised.
He again appealed to the health sector to establish more adolescent clinics across the country to give young people safe spaces to seek information and counselling.
That, he emphasised, would help reduce the high incidence of teenage pregnancy and support adolescents in making informed decisions about their sexual health.
- From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
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TBCCC Women’s Ministry marks first anniversary
The Battle Cry Community Church (TBCCC) Women’s Ministry has commemorated its first anniversary at Adenta in Accra.
The five-day event which was held from Wednesday, August 27 to Sunday, August 31 was under the theme “A new chapter of beauty”.
Activities held included worship and prayer nights, and sessions of exhortations.
An Associate Pastor of Harvest Chapel International, Lady Pastor Hagar Hasford, in a sermon likened the journey of women to exchanging ‘ashes for beauty’ and urged them to lay down their burdens in prayer for total honour and restoration.
With biblical insights from Esther 2:12, she reminded women that obedience and covenant loyalty were keys to divine preparation.
She said true beauty is when one comes into God’s purpose with divine alignment.
Mrs Anna Owusu, a proprietress and leader of the TBCCC Choir, encouraged women to live with determination, maintain a growth mindset, and remain true to their God-given identity.
She said, stepping into a new chapter requires both spiritual and personal commitment.
A retired pastor, Rev. Mrs. Florence Baidoo, said beauty should be both inward and outward, reflecting Christ in a way that draws others to Him.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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