The Office of the President has dismissed a petition against the acquisition of 20,000 acres for the Petroleum Hub project due to insufficient evidence and a confirmation that the project complies with legal requirements.
This decision was also backed by the response from the Western Nzema Traditional Council, which explicitly denies the assertions in the petition and urged the government to proceed with the sod-cutting ceremony on August 19, 2024, emphasizing that it is intended for the benefit of the people of Western Nzema.
The letter indicated that the project has been reviewed in light of an interlocutory injunction ruling from the High Court in Sekondi, which confirmed that the Petroleum Hub project should proceed. It was noted that “all processes for compulsory acquisition under the law have been complied with thus far, including extensive stakeholder consultations.” In light of these findings, the petition was dismissed.
The Petroleum Hub project is an initiative aimed to position Ghana as a leading petroleum and petrochemical hub in West Africa. With an estimated cost of around $60 billion, the project seeks to develop critical infrastructure, including refineries, petrochemical plants, and extensive storage facilities across 20,000 acres in the Jomoro Municipal Area of the Western Region. This initiative is expected to create over 780,000 jobs directly and indirectly by 2036, significantly boosting local employment and entrepreneurship while aligning with Ghana’s broader vision of self-sufficiency and industrialization, thereby enhancing the country’s energy security and economic resilience.
Government has also signed a $12 billion agreement with the TCP-UIC Consortium, which includes Touchstone Capital Group Holdings Ltd., UIC Energy Ghana Ltd., China Wuhan Engineering Co. Ltd., and China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Co. Ltd. This partnership will spearhead the first phase of the project, marking a crucial step towards realizing the government’s ambitious energy goals.
The government has assured that all necessary legal processes for the compulsory acquisition of the land have been followed, including stakeholder consultations, and the project has received backing from various traditional authorities, which is essential for its progression. The letter stated, “it is, thus, palpably false to state that the land in question is being registered in the name of Awulae Annor Adjaye III.”
