The Deputy Minister for Energy, Mohammed Amin Adam, in an address on behalf of the Energy Minister, Peter Amewu, has announced that his ministry, in collaboration with National Security, has initiated a process that will ensure the implementation of a policy aimed at safeguarding the country’s petroleum installations, against all forms of attacks.
Mr. Mohammed Amin Adam noted, “The security and safety of petroleum installations, workers of industry players, and the communities where we operate must be a priority in our risk management plans.â€
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While in partnership with the national security secretariat, both entities will work towards implementing an energy security policy aimed at protecting critical infrastructure and the sustainability of the petroleum industry.
The honourable deputy minister for energy made the announcement at the Ghana International Petroleum Conference held on the theme; “Regional Collaboration: A Catalyst for Transformation.”
A similar plan in 2009
Meanwhile in November 2009, then minister of Energy under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, announced the constitution of a high-level committee of security and legal experts to draft a policy document aimed to safeguard operations in the oil and gas sector.
In an address read for him at a workshop on a framework to extend the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) to the Oil and Gas Sector, Dr Oteng-Adjei said the security policy document will create a safe, secure and enabling environment to facilitate the exploration, exploitation and distribution of oil and gas.
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He was quoted as saying, “More specifically, the policy will protect the petroleum industry against acts of terrorism, sabotage, piracy and vandalism.†The policy was primarily aimed at preventing the diversion and stealing of petroleum products, prevent other users of the sea from interfering with operations, maintain general law and order and render timely response to emergencies in the oil and gas sector.
Today, in light of global energy security concerns, protecting offshore oil and gas installations from external or internal threat(s) is an essential and obligatory exercise for countries with significant offshore oil and gas operations; especially for those countries whose economic well-being depends on it.
In order to plan fitting security strategies, we must understand the types of threats faced by offshore installations, including knowledge of various threat groups and the dangers they represent. If the country can refer to past attacks (if any) and interferences with installations and possible future actions, then Ghana could be making a headway in that regard.
Source: theindependentghana |Â Anita Odei-Osafo