Ghana will learn from experienced oil producers

Spread April 11, 2008

Story: Charles Benoni Okine

GHANA will spare no effort at tapping the experiences of oil-producing countries, particularly those in Africa, to ensure better management of its oil revenues and other related issues, the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has stated.
He said the oil find marked a turning point in the country’s economic development and noted that unless lessons of others with the rich resource were drawn, the country might not benefit fully from it.
Alhaji Mahama made the statement yesterday when he received a special message from the Angolan President, Mr Carlos Dos Santos at the Castle, Osu, on behalf of President J.A. Kufuor.
It was delivered by the Angolan Deputy Minister of External Affairs, Mr Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti.
Although the contents of the message were not disclosed, it was believed to be centred on the quest for Ghana’s support for the Angolan candidate for the top position of the International Tribunal on Laws of the Sea.
Alhaji Mahama said oil had transformed many countries, while in others, it had created more problems.
He said it was against this background that the experiences of those countries that had had some tough times in managing the oil resource was necessary.
The Vice President said Ghana and Angola had enjoyed fruitful relations and expressed the hope that the attempt to seek that information on oil resource management would further strengthen the relations.
He said there were many Ghanaians working in Angola in many other sectors, including housing, adding that “this is a sign of good brotherliness and we hope to make it stronger”.
Mr Chikoti, for his part, extended the felicitations of his President to President Kufuor, who is currently in India attending the India/Africa Summit.
He said Angola’s relations with Ghana dated back many years and all efforts would be made to strengthen them.
Mr Chikoti said Angola was prepared to share its experiences in the management of oil to ensure that Ghana benefited fully from its newly found resource.