Residents of Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region are in no mood to jubilate over the oil find in the region because they risk losing their rented apartments. Kweku Owusu Peprah of Radio Max reports that property owners in the region have resorted to renting their apartments to the highest bidder, leaving the local residents no room to compete with staff of oil companies relocating to the region. “I live in a flat of GH¢100 a month, it has been increased within the last three months to a GH¢120. When I asked they said now things are going up. Cement price has gone up to about 116,000 (GH¢11.6) and the oil is coming, people need houses so if I wouldn’t want to stay in I could move out,” one of the residents named only as Martin narrated his predicament. He has been served with an eviction notice to take effect in January, 2010. Martin’s case is just a tip of the iceberg, for many residents have either been thrown out already or have their eviction notices to contend with. Kweku Owusu Peprah indicated that the price of a two bedroom apartment is now going for GH¢150, up from the recent GH¢80. The residents describe the increases as unrealistic. Worst still, many of the apartments have reportedly been converted into stores and offices to cash in on the establishing oil industry. But the house owners are not in the least concerned. They say they are not philanthropists but businessmen and women who must make enough money to renovate their houses and improve on their standards of living. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana