Opposition MP blasts ANARDACO

By Crispina Cummings
Representative for constituency 91 in Pujehun district, Sidi Tunis, MP has strongly criticised the American oil company, ANARDACO for “abandoning the community people during the exploration phase of their operations”.
According to the MP, the company which is prospecting for oil in the Sulima area of Pujehun district claimed that they were not required to undertake any corporate social responsibility program during the period of exploration.
Tunis, who was speaking during the public disclosure of the Environmental Impact Assessment report by LUKOIL - another company exploring for oil in the same area, said ANARDACO failed to respond to the needs of the people of Sulima during the last cholera crisis which claimed a few lives.
The MP told the gathering that “while cholera was claiming the lives of people in Sulima which is the closest coastland in their operational area ANARDACO was busy spending millions just 50 kilometres off”.
On the activities of LUKOIL, Tunis thanked the company and their consultants, CEMMATS for what he described as a good report.
In the presence of officials of the Petroleum Directorate, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Lands and other MP’s, Hon Tunis also thanked LUKOIL for launching a Community Development Action Fund for which $100,000 was donated by the company for the affected chiefdoms in Bonthe and Pujehun districts as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.
He encouraged the company to work with the community people at all times.