Government has been urged to initiate policies and programmes that will enable indigenous people to benefit from the country’s oil production.

Mr Wisdom Quaiku, President of the United Civil Society Organization of Nzema District, a Non Governmental Organization, said this at a day’s meeting with civil unions in the Jomoro District at Half Assini. The NGO advocates for good governance and welfare of people in the district.

Thirty-six participants made up of assembly members, staff of the Jomoro District Assembly, Integrated Farmers, tailors/dressmakers, people with disabilities and traditional authorities attended the meeting.

Mr Quaiku said in Norway and Canada where there were good policies governing their oil industry, the situation was different compared to that of the Niger Delta of Nigeria. He said the local people were benefiting from their oil industries unlike in Nigeria where the local people were not enjoying from industry resulting in periodic misunderstanding between the people and the industry.

Mr Quaiku said Ghana was producing oil without appropriate laws in favour of the local people. Mr Michael Yanku, Project Coordinator of the NGO, said the organization, in collaboration with USAID, had started an eight-month programme including workshops to educate the people on the development of the area.