Govt would not compromise the safety of Ghanaians

Accra, Oct 27, GNA - Government on Monday said it would not compromise on the safety of Ghanaians in the implementation of the West African Gas Pipeline Project despite the enormous benefits that the country stood to derive from it.

Speaking at a Gas Pipeline Safety Seminar, Mr Stanley Quarcopome Barnor, Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy, said although there was overwhelming support for the project, concerns for safety had become a dominant issue in the scoping exercise carried out at the beginning of the project's environmental impact assessment. "People value their lives and, even though, they showed a lot of support for the project and accept the gains it would bring to all of us as a nation, they would wish to stay alive to enjoy the gains," he said.

Mr Barnor said it was in this connection that the Ministries of Energy and Information and the Information Services Department are working with the sponsors of the WAGP to conduct various public awareness sessions to educate the public on the various safety measures available to ensure smooth operations.

Participants at the seminar included representatives from professional groupings, non-governmental organizations, community based organizations, traditional authorities and security agencies. He said the implementation schedule of the Project would receive a significant boost with the submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment report to the various agencies.

Mrs Cynthia Omaboe, Government Relations Representative on the Project, said the draft of the final Environmental Impact Assessment would be submitted on Friday for the start of various discussions on it. Mr Carlos Adams, Safety and Security Adviser, said the WAGP was committed to a safe and injury free environment, where people's safety actions were driven from choice not strictly from formal compliance. There would be emphasis on community education to strengthen safety measures on the ground.

"Our goal is to maintain safe pipeline operations and to protect human life and environment while transporting natural gas." The West African Gas Pipeline Project is being undertaken by Ghana, Nigeria, Benin and Togo.