Editors attend a retreat on oil and gas

Revenue Watch Institute and International Institute for ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes) in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) would organise a three-day retreat for Editors on Oil and Gas from March 2-4 at Koforidua.

A statement issued by the organisers in Accra on Friday said it was to strengthen the capacity of Editors in covering Ghana's fast growing oil and gas sector.

“This retreat will bring together senior editors from print, radio and television as well as government officials, Members of Parliament, Oil and Gas companies, leaders from Civil Society Organisations (CSO) working in the oil and gas sector to deliberate on key areas such as the latest development in the extractive industry.”

It is a follow up of an earlier retreat held in 2011 and forms part of "Strengthening Media Oversight of the Extractive Sector Pilot Programme" in Ghana and Uganda.

The programme aims at promoting good governance and an effective oversight of the oil, gas and mining (extractive) resources and revenues.

The statement said topics to be discussed would include: "Ghana Gas and its Implications for National Development"; "Opportunities for Local Participation in Ghana's Emerging Oil and Gas Industry";"Parliament's Role in Ensuring Transparency and Accountability in the Oil and Gas Sector."

The rest are: "Civil Society Concerns on Ghana's Oil and Gas Sector"; "The Role of Oil and Gas Capacity Building Project in Strengthening Ghana's Oil and Gas Sector" and" The Status of Oil and Gas Legislations, Policies and Regulations".

Highlight of the retreat will be a focus group discussion on how to stimulate oil and gas stories in the Ghanaian media and strategies for strengthening the overall capacity of the media in oil and gas reporting.

The "Strengthening Media Oversight of the Extractive Sectors Pilot Programme" aims at promoting good governance and an effective oversight of the oil, gas and mining (extractive) resources and revenues.

The ultimate objective is to have a knowledgeable and active media which is critical to having an informed and engaged public, civil society and Parliament that can hold government to account.

Mr Kofi Mangesi of Penplusbytes emphasised that, "This follow up retreat will ensure that issues surrounding the extractive sector is brought to the fore in media discussions and keep the editors abreast of the latest development in the sector which will enable the media better inform the citizenry who will be able to hold government accountable."

He revealed that it was during the last retreat that the defective flow meters on FPSO was brought to the public attention and believed retreats of this nature was necessary in ensuring that Ghana kept to international standards and making sure the country was not short chained in terms of revenue mobilisation in the sector.

Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and Deputy Minister of Energy in-charge of petroleum, is expected to participate in the deliberations.

PENPLUSBYTES www.penplusbytes.org is a registered not for profit since 18th July 2001 with the vision of driving excellence in ICT journalism. www.reportingoilandgas.org is a project of Penplusbytes.

GHANA JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION (GJA) founded in 1949 as the key professional umbrella organisation representing Ghanaian Journalists.

REVENUE WATCH INSTITUTE www.revenuewatch.org promotes the transparent and accountable management of oil, gas and mineral resources for the public good.