Outspoken oil and gas consultant, Dr. Steve Manteaw has entreated individuals and groups affected by Ghana’s oil production and activities to claim compensation by going through the petroleum revenue management Act, section 24.

‘Usually in law, when there is such a provision, regulations provide how to access this compensation, so lets wait till the regulations are out and we see how this can be implemented,’ he said.

Dr. Steve Manteaw was speaking to Ultimate News’ Western regional correspondent Emmanuel Ohene Gyan on the sidelines of a three-day training workshop for journalists in Takoradi to amplify oil and gas issues during this year’s general elections organized by Penplusbyte.

Touching on fishermen in the enclave who have been complaining that activities at the Jubilee field has affected their work, he said ‘I think the appropriate framework for dealing with concerns of the fishermen with the environmental, social impact assessment framework, having done this, it requires that the companies produce environmental management plan, if indeed they identify the impact on the fishermen,… there was a certain downplaying of the impact on fishermen and so there was no provision in the environmental management plan, the only avenue opened to the fishermen will be to resort to the court for compensation’.

The Petroleum and Revenue Management Act, section 24 states that individuals, communities and groups who have negatively been impacted as a result of Ghana’s oil production can ask for compensation.