The Nzema Youth Alliance (NYA), an alliance formed by indigenes of Nzema land in Ghana and the diaspora, has expressed concern over what it says is the exclusion of the Western Region in key appointments within the Ministry of Energy and its related agencies.

According to the NYA, it represents over 0.5 million people and serves as the mouthpiece for the Nzema ethnic group. The Nzema area in Ghana is divided into three electoral districts: Nzema East, Ellembelle, and Jomoro.

The alliance has congratulated President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for their unprecedented electoral victory under the Fourth Republic.

It also expressed members' gratitude to President Mahama for his efforts in promoting inclusivity and regional balance in his government.

"We wish to express our gratitude to President Mahama, for his focus on inclusivity and regional balance, as demonstrated by the appointments of Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and Hon. Emelia Arthur as Minister for Fisheries – both from the Western Region," said Mr. George Amenlemah Blay-Morkeh, Chairman of the NYA.

However, the NYA expressed its deep concerns about the government’s failure to appoint a representative from the Western Region to the Ministry of Energy or its associated agencies, such as the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Ghana Gas, the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation, and the Volta River Authority (VRA).

"Despite being the heart of Ghana’s oil and gas industry, the Western Region remains underrepresented in the very sector that drives national development. This exclusion is troubling as it fails to recognise the region’s significant role in housing the oil fields," Mr. Blay-Morkeh said.

They also raised concerns about the lack of representation for the Nzema people, who have been directly impacted by oil and gas activities in their communities.

"Our communities have borne the environmental, social, and economic costs of the oil industry. We have made considerable sacrifices, yet we remain excluded from the decision-making bodies that shape the future of the energy sector," Mr. Blay-Morkeh added.

The alliance warned that this exclusion undermines the hard work and contributions of the people of the Western Region and raises questions about the government’s commitment to the equitable distribution of opportunities.

"This is the first time the Nzemas and the Western Region have been so completely alienated from leadership in the oil and gas sector since its emergence in Ghana," he lamented.

The NYA is calling on the government to address these concerns and ensure that the Western Region, particularly the Nzema people, are properly represented in the Ministry of Energy and its associated agencies.