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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
The Ghana First Alliance, a movement, is today staging a protest in Accra against the renewal of the mining licence of Gold Fields, a mining company owned by a South African citizen operating in Ghana.
The demonstration, dubbed “Operation No Contract Renewal: South Africa Must Go,” is being held to demand that government does not renew the company’s licence.
The group says their protest is linked to recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa by a protest group known as “march to march.”
They claim that many Ghanaian-owned shops were looted, while others were attacked, with some cases leading to deaths.
They also say the situation forced the Ghana government to evacuate thousands of Ghanaians from South Africa back to Ghana.
Speaking to some of the protesters, they said they will move to several key locations in Accra, including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Jubilee House, where they intend to present their petition.
The protesters are calling on government to terminate the Gold Fields contract and hand over the mining concessions to capable Ghanaians to manage.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
