Oil blessing depends on good management - minister

Accra, May 29, GNA-Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Minister Designate for Energy, at his vetting on Thursday, said only effective management and popular participation of the Ghanaian citizenry would guarantee the anticipated benefits ffom the oil find.

He told the Appointments Committee of Parliament, in Accra, that the oil find could become a blessing only if its production, revenue, the environment and security issues were properly managed. "If we can begin to improve the level of transparency, the oil find can be a blessing," he said.

He announced that the Ministry of Energy was working on polices which would, in the final analysis make Ghanaians participants rather than observers in the oil business.

The Minister Designate, MP for Akim Swedru, had resigned last year from his position as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader in Parliament for an unsuccessful attempt to clinch the presidential slot of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the December 2008 general elections.

He underscored enough security measures to protect the emerging oil industry from undue foreign exploitation by the big boys.

Mr. Owusu-Adjapong, a professional surveyor and lawyer, who replaces Mr Kofi Adda, MP for Navrongo, also cautioned the nation not to neglect the nation's mainstay of agriculture because of the oil find. The Minister Designate, who had also served as Minister of Transportation and Communication, Technology and Acting Minister of Transportation, preferred to be endorsed before he would fully speak on details of issues in Energy Ministry.

He however, said he would work on energy projects within the confines of the 2008 Budget during the next seven months before the nation would go to the polls.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong said the nation must harness all its energy resources which, he said include hydro, thermal, wind, and nuclear. He gave further assurance of challenging Ghanaians, within government's financial capabilities for a wider use of solar energy. He however said the initial use of solar energy was more expensive than the present conventional energy sources. Mr Owusu-Adjapong agreed that the present energy supply was below demand, but added that the problem was more of waste and poor power distribution.

He suggested the development of small hydro electric projects, adding that the nation could produce the needed capacity of between 4000 to 6000 megawatts within the next four to six years.

"We now need to look at the expenditure and how long it would take to overcome these," he said, stressing more use of local materials and expertise in energy production to save cost due to imports. Mr Owusu-Adjapong described his landmark achievement during his tenure as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs as effective time management and improved consensus building in matters of national concern. He described the current constitution as "transitional', yet "was the best and for us and at least a very useful constitution for at least four terms."

He said he had no objection to constitutional amendments, but added the time was not ripe and any amendments should not be piecemeal. The Minister Designate said he was not seeking re-election into Parliament, and had no further ambition to become president, but ready to serve the nation.

"I'm comfortable with the role I've been assigned to play," he said.