The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has lauded the achievements made in curbing the spate of accidents on the Volta Lake as they say about 21,000 tree stumps have been removed from 2018 through to 2020.
According to the Association, they have put in more efforts that have led them to arrive at such a milestone of removing the various tree stumps from Volta Lake.
Ghana in the past years has recorded a series of accidents on Volta Lake which claimed lots of lives and the majority of the cause of these accidents was usually caused by tress stumps in the Lakes.
The country has been fighting the issues of Lake accidents for far too long and the Ghana Maritime Authority in charge of safeguarding the lakes embarked on these exercises of removing the various tree stumps.
Sharing the success story of the GMA at the Information Ministry's meet the press series held in Accra, the Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Thomas K Alonsi added that, the tree stumps have been a cause of worry for the people who ply the Volta Lake and has claimed lots of lives which he says the removal was a step in the right direction.
Mr. Alonsi also added that the removal of the tree stumps has been of huge benefit to the people who stay and use the Volta Lake as he says it has brought safety on the lake and also increase economic activities as well.
Responding to drunk boat operators, he explained that it is very difficult to detect adding that the drivers go onboard the boards looking fine and not smelling alcohol.
He said "When the operators are going to climb the boats, they look fine and normal like us but whiles on board the vessel and it's moving, they take the alcohol. It is very difficult to detect they have such substance on them"
Responding to questions on Mr. Essien, an observer who was deployed by the Fisheries Commission and has since not been found, the Acting Director of Maritime Service Department, Nana Boakye Boampong said "We have had engagements with the family. The body of Mr. Essien is not available so we have not been able to pronounce him dead"
He also explained that there have been engagements with the Fisheries Commission on how to deploy the observers.
Mr. Boampong hinted that the Marine Police is responsible for looking for observers who get missing while executing their duties on the sea and conducting investigations.
He also mentioned that the investigations in the matter of Mr. Essien have not been concluded although there has been some validation.
"The Marine Police is responsible for such investigations. The investigations have not been concluded but they have undertaken some investigations. They have been able to validate but have not been able to establish his whereabouts of Mr. Essien"
Touching on training decants, he said "Regarding the training of decants, a training has introduced so for anybody to get on board, the person is required to undergo a training at the Regional Maritime School"
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Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
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