A Trainer of Trainers in oil and gas has urged leadership at all levels of society to place a high premium on the acquisition of skills and knowledge to develop analytical and critical minds for effective management of the new economy.
Mr Emmanuel Emielu, Managing Partner of Oil and Gas Soft Skills Limited, Abuja, Nigeria, said this at the inception of a five-day international oil and gas training workshop being held in Accray.
He said the oil and gas industry was a peculiar one that required finance, experience, knowledge and capital because it was very risky and expensive business where politics, religion and business were all mixed up.
Mr Emielu said in view of opportunities in the oil industry, everyone was expectant of flowing oil money but warned that "money without responsible, proactive and forward-looking leadership could be problematic for the nation".
"Leadership to drive the industry at the national, company and individual level is very important because if you can't lead yourself, you can't lead anyone else."
He said leadership was about setting a vision or target and getting people to the desired destination, adding that though making laws was necessary, it was not a sufficient condition to attain the desired result.
He stressed that the human factor was very important from the angle of the lawmaker or implementer but cautioned that integrity that should go with the law was very important.
"It is people and not just people by birth or nationality that matters but people with real knowledge and experience, and we need to build that capacity now," he said.
Mr Emielu referred to the Niger Delta problem in Nigeria, where a group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has been battling the Nigeria government and investors over local rights and opportunities, saying lack of local expertise and concerted effort had led to the crisis in that country.
He expressed dismay at the poor attendance by Ghanaian participants who were even invited to attend free of charge but failed to turn up on the first day and wondered if Ghanaians were not interested in long-term investment or understand what was really at stake.
Out of the 17 participants who had registered as at Monday afternoon, only one or two Ghanaians had reported, with the rest coming from Nigeria.
International Business Event Management (IBEM), a Ghanaian business entity, is organizing the training workshop in conjunction with Oil and Gas Soft Skills Limited under the theme: "21st. Century Leadership Development for Oil and Gas Executives".
It is intended for executives and managers who need to share and sharpen their skills for the challenges of the new economy.
It is also meant for directors and business managers of indigenous companies who wish to harness the emerging opportunities and directors and chief executives of ministries, departments and agencies responsible for industry leadership and regulation.
It will, among other things, discuss thematic areas such as attitudinal behaviour, change performance of the market, effective team leadership and communication feedback.