Ghana’s Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has reiterated his confidence in the Ghanaian potential to support the industrialisation agenda of his country’s President, Akufo-Addo.
The Minister made this assertion when he visited BM Welding and Fabrication company, a Ghanaian-owned company in Edmonton, Canada.
He said Ghana is gifted with talents that are the basis for technical and vocational training and, therefore, was not surprised that a Ghanaian had been able to set up a company in the industrial province of Alberta, competing in their areas of operation.
“I have always believed in the Ghanaian ability and when I was told that you had been able to do this, I was not surprised because Ghanaians all over the world are doing exploits and we commend you,” he said.
What is critical, the Minister went on, is the matter of training and certification.
“You can have the talent and skill to be able to do the job but without proper certification, you will not be competitive,” Dr Opoku Prempeh said.
He, therefore, asked the West African nation’s Upstream regulator, the Petroleum Commission, to build a good relationship with the company especially as they seek to make the newly-established Ghana Institution of Welding operational.
“As a Minister, my doors are always open to frank discussions with stakeholders to ensure that our people are trained to become competitive not just in the Upstream oil and gas space but in related industries,” he added.
The owner of the company, Frank Mensah, also trained at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, taking the Minister and his entourage around the company’s operational sites and facilities, expressed delight in hosting his guests.
“I am very delighted that our modest and determined efforts have been recognized by the head of Ghana’s energy sector,” he noted.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Egbert Faibille Jnr expressed the Commission’s commitment to using the Accelerated Oil and Gas Capacity vehicle to ensure that the narrative is changed for the better.
He said the Commission would be seeking approval from the Minister to officially launch the Ghana Institution of Welding in January 2022.
BM Welding and Fabrication, according to the owner, employs about 90 per cent of Ghanaians, a move the Minister described as a demonstration of patriotism.
The delegation ended its tour with a visit to BIS Canada, a company specializing in software on heath, safety and environment.
After presentations by the company, the Energy Minister asked the Petroleum Commission to see how best it can collaborate with the company as Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) matters are critical in the Upstream Petroleum Industry.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com