Mr Donkris Mevuta, the Executive Director of the Friends of the Nation, says though there seemed to be great awareness about the oil and gas industry, less knowledge and appreciation is known among communities about their operations.
This had resulted in the great expectations from communities where such operations were found and the need to mitigate such needs through effective communication and accountable behaviours to achieve maximum cooperation.
Mr Mevuta speaking at a two-day training on Oil & Gas Governance and Social Accountability, said integrating community concerns and information flow was therefore critical.
The training was sponsored by NORAD and OxFam.
The training was to expose participants to the basic laws on extractives; engagement with duty bearers on community rights and draw from a training manual produced on oil & gas governance to empower participants on community mobilization and advocacy and interfacing with environmental management and engagement.
Mr. Kojo Opoku, Senior Officer from the Environmental Protection Agency, educated the participants on the impact assessment and called on communities having such natural resources to collaborate and corporate with industry players for harmonious coexistence.
The 35 participants drawn from the six coastal districts were taken through basic laws in the oil and gas sector, revenue management, access to justice, environmental monitoring, Local Government Act, Act 936 and Public Financial Management Act, Act 921.