President Kufuor has observed that the acknowledgement by many Ghanaians that the recently found oil could pose some dangers was refreshing. He said the fact that Ghanaians had realised the potential danger of the discovery could make the society put measures in place to avert such dangers. Speaking at the 51st Anniversary Parade at the Independence Square, the president said the government was committed to ensuring transparency, accountability and a genuine resolve to ensure the benefits from the oil resource were evenly distributed. That he said was the only way to avert the possible dangers that the oil find could pose to the country’s security. He called on all Ghanaians to contribute their quota to make the oil discovery a blessing and not a curse as was the case in some African countries. Many African countries which have discovered oil have remained largely underdeveloped. The citizens who feel disgruntled and excluded have resorted to militant and rebel activities creating insecurity in those countries. In Nigeria for example, abductions and hostage taking of foreign oil workers in the Niger Delta Region are a common practice. Sabbotaging oil pipes by people who are wallowing in absolute despondency and deprivation is equally common. The president said insecurity and interruptions in the political process had already caused considerable damage to the country’s development process. He therefore stressed the need for all Ghanaians to work hard towards strengthening the institutions that served as checks and balances in the governance system. Institutions such as the Executive, the Judiciary, the Legislature, the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), among others in his opinion need to be strengthened. That, according to him was necessary to ensure continuity in governance to facilitate the country’s development. Story:Malik