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The chiefs and People of Jomoro District in the Western Region have registered their apprehension over the disbursement of oil benefits at their expense. 

The District according to them is the hub of Ghana's oil find but cannot boost of a single project from the oil and gas sector as is the case all over the country. 

They expressed the sentiments when a documentary on infrastructure developments being funded from the oil fund was screened at a day's forum for stakeholders in Jomoro District at Half-Assini. 

The programme organized by Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) was under the theme "Five Years of Ghana's Oil Production what needs to be known".

It was attended by traditional rulers, assembly members, heads of decentralized departments of the assembly and civil society organizations. 

Nana Kwasi Prah, Senior Captain of Western Nzema Traditional Area (WNTA), who represented the Paramount Chief of the area, Awulae Annor Adjaye III , said the District would be the first to suffer in event of any adverse effect from the "Jubilee Field” but has been denied its fair share from the industry. 

He said whiles funds from the oil was being used to develop other parts of the country roads in the area particularly Jomoro District Capital, Half-Assini, were in a very deplorable state.

Nana Osabarima Entsie II, Omanehe of Mpohor Traditional Area, who facilitated the forum, said a total of GHC 2, 995,757,256.00 oil revenue went into the Annual Budget Funding Account (ABFA) of the country for 2011-2015. 

He said the money was used in four areas under the budget namely, Roads Infrastructure, Capacity Building, Agriculture Modernization and Loan Amortization with roads receiving the chunk of it amounting to GHC 1, 531,157,925.00.

According to him, Loans got GHC 860, 329,739.00, Agriculture GHC 329, 392,159.00 and Capacity Building GHC 274, 967,389.00. 

Briefing the media, Ms Marilyn Aniwa, PIAC Programmes Coordinator, said the programme is being organised in nine out of the 22 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Region. 

She said PIAC was organizing "Districts Dissemination" fora on its report and to solicit public inputs on the next selection of priority areas for the 2017/2019 annual budget in accordance with the National Petroleum Management Act (Act 815) 2011 and as amended (Act 893) 2015, in selected Districts across the country including Jomoro District.