‘Oil companies not doing much for local communities’

Some oil exploration companies in the country have been accused by an oil expert of poorly implementing their corporate social responsibility programmes in some of the communities where they operate in the Western Region.

Dr Steve Manteaw, Campaign Co-ordinator of Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), said the poor execution of corporate social responsibility programmes has left many of such communities in a worse state than before.

He was speaking at a co-organised roundtable discussion by Accra-based Citi FM and the Ghana Oil and Gas for Inclusive Growth, on the topic, ‘Ghana’s Oil and Gas Scorecard after Five Years’.

He indicated that Tullow, for instance, as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, decided to assist the Jomoro community where it operated with boreholes some time ago.

However, because Tullow did not consult local knowledge, most of the boreholes that were developed did not produce wholesome water while others contained no water at all.

“Around the time these boreholes were constructed, the World Bank had a small water town project for the people of Western Region but I want to presume that because Jomoro had benefitted from or was in the process of benefitting from the Tullow project, they were excluded from the small town water project,” Dr Manteaw lamented.

The oil and gas expert said, eventually, the Jomoro people lost out on two fronts: the Tullow project and the World Bank-funded project.

He said he engaged Tullow over the issue and he was given the assurance that plans were being put in place to provide water tanker services to the community.

“This, I knew, was unsustainable, and today as I speak, my understanding is that water tanker services have ceased and so this is one of the ways in which communities intended to benefit from corporate social responsibility have not benefitted because of the way it was designed and executed.”

Dr Manteaw also accused chiefs in the Western Region of poor planning – which, he says, has led to the low levels of revenue allocations from oil to the region.

“I will not blame the policymakers entirely for this unfortunate situation. In my view, the local authorities in these areas have also failed their people. They fail to plan with oil in view.”