At these sessions, representatives of oil and gas companies as well as government institutions and agencies, operating in the six coastal districts, are called up to respond to issues of concern around economic empowerment and livelihoods, water, sanitation, environment, education, health and decision making that affects communities in which they operate.

Whilst government agencies and institutions are called up to respond to questions that border on environmental sustainability, unemployment, water-related issues, access to healthcare and education, oil companies are also called up to respond to questions on livelihood empowerment and sustainability.

At the sixth edition, some non-governmental organizations and CSOs, such as the Africa Center for Energy Policy ACEP, Friends of the Nation FON, as well as some private sector players like the Association of Ghana Industries AGI, were called up to present issues as well as opportunities they have identified in the petroleum industry and in the six coastal districts.

“Land use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), needs to be fully implemented. This will help generally to provide for spatial aspects of socio-economic development, and for related matters in the communities” Solomon Kusi Ampofo, Natural Resource governance coordinator at Friends of the Nation noted.

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, GNPC, also told the gathering of their resolve to establish the National Shared Value Plan which will be funded by GNPC’s upstream partners.

“We are committed to ensuring that the hydrocarbons discovery in the country will benefit every Ghanaian, and that through our own initiatives and programs, we want to arrive at a situation where we can affect the life of the people within the communities in our operational areas. That’s what the National Shared Value Plan is about” Dr. Patrick Ofori, Sustainability Manager of GNPC told Citi News.

The Paramount Chief of the Lower Dixcove Traditional Area, Nana Kwesi Agyeman IX, who is also the council chair for WRCF, reiterated the importance of such meetings, noting that dialogue will help the companies to have a social contract and acceptability within the communities.

The Vice-chair of WRCF, Wisdom Quaicoe, who is also the Executive Director for the United Civil Society for National Development UCSOND, was not enthused about the seeming difficulty that serves as impediment between persons with disabilities from accessing offices of some of the oil companies.

He suggested to representatives of the companies to work to make their offices disability friendly.

About WRCF

The Western Region Coastal Foundation is a locally owned and managed independent foundation with a legal charter as an NGO in Ghana. Its governance structure is made up of representatives from communities, local government and companies.

As the oil, gas, power (OGP) and other extractive industries increase activity in the Western Region, they are affecting the daily lives of residents of the region’s six coastal districts. This creates risks and operational challenges – increasing expectations by government, traditional authorities and others,as it also offers opportunities.

Managing these risks and capitalizing on these opportunities require knowledge, expertise and collective commitment to local economic and social development over the long-term.

Through the innovative community dialogue platform, WRCF is actively identifying and designing ways to add value to new or existing initiatives in the private sector development, to create economic growth in the region.

WRCF seeks to promote development in communities impacted by extractive industries through influencing Corporate Social Investment (CSI) decisions, coordinating and supporting the delivery of economic and social initiatives prioritized by stakeholders.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Sure, it’s romantic to believe that fate brings you and a significant other together. More realistically, however, you likely wake up one day and, whether or not you realize it, your heart tells your head that it’s ready to love. Once that happens, someone will unexpectedly walk into your life and he or she will become the person you decide you want.

When I moved across the country a few years ago, I didn’t want a serious relationship with any guy. After I had found a cool job, a kickass roommate and a great group of friends, though, I began to feel differently. Life was good, I was happy, and my heart decided it was time.

I met someone with whom I had a short, intense and unhealthy relationship. I was not happy dating him, but I wanted desperately to make it work. Why? I chose him when the time was right for me.

My heart might have been ready, but his wasn’t — even though he truly wanted it to be. I felt foolish. When I was finally ready to allow someone into my life, I happened to fall for someone who was terrible for me and who made it difficult for me to trust anyone for a long time following our relationship.

If I had met him at a different point in my life — when I wasn’t prepared to be so open with someone — things would have transpired quite differently. I certainly wouldn’t have attached myself to him. Even if he had, in fact, been a great fit for me, or if he felt like he was ready when I didn’t feel the same, love works best — and feels best — when both people are willing and excited to give and receive.

Admitting that you are at a point in your life to offer and accept love is a big deal; it doesn’t always happen when life is sunshine and rainbows.

My best friend started dating someone about one week before her own cross-country move; she was feeling vulnerable and scared and wanted to hang onto something or someone reminiscent of her hometown. She needed someone at that time, and it’s not that she needed the particular someone she chose — he could have been anyone, really — but he happened to walk into her life at the right moment.

Timing is funny like that; it’s a common reason why people stay in bad relationships. We want to believe our hearts are ready and we’ve found a person who is ready, too — whether or not it’s actually the case. We try to make things work that just aren’t meant to work.

One of my good friends did everything he could to make it work with a significant other. It was frustrating for me and for other friends to witness him try so hard only to have her jerk him around. Though, he felt prepared to let someone into his life and he did everything he could to salvage the relationship. Even after months of her hot-and-cold attitude, he wanted her because she was the one he’d decided to let in.

At some point, you’ve probably heard someone say, “It didn’t work out between us because the timing just wasn’t right.” Hell, you’ve probably even said it yourself. However, the timing isn’t “just” one part of it.

Timing is everything.

It’s totally possible that you’re able to recognize how amazing someone else is, or vice versa, but if the timing is off, giving or receiving love will be difficult. It really doesn’t matter how compatible two people are; if the time isn’t right in someone’s life, he or she won’t be able to love completely.

Immediately after graduation, I spent a summer in San Francisco for an arts program. I met someone who ended up being a great match for me — someone who challenged my thinking, opened up me up to new ideas and was equally interested in me. It was exciting, but not only were we both getting out of long-term relationships, he was also still in school on the West Coast and I was returning to New York in the fall.

Now, this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t pursue someone if the timing is wrong. I still had a great time with the guy I met in San Francisco, but to pursue anything more than we did would have ended in a whole lot of sorrow for us both.

So, flirt, hang out and have sex, but don’t disillusion yourself into thinking that you’re going to be able to change another human being’s wants, needs or personal circumstance. Be honest. Be honest with the other person and with yourself. You deserve to be involved with someone who is able to love you completely.

As much as timing can interfere with our desires and even keep us in bad relationships, timing is also why we feel so incredibly fortunate when we have wonderful, healthy relationships. Suddenly, you have found a person who loves and accepts how weird/funny/cool you are, and the timing is right for you both.

Timing makes you infinitely grateful to have found that person at exactly the moment you did.

Source: elitedaily.com

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