Audio Attachment:Transport Minister, Hon. Mike Hammah, says monitoring safety on the Volta Lake is extremely difficult because of the huge total land area the lake covers. |
The Minister of Transport, Hon. Mike Hammah, says it is extremely difficult monitoring safety on the Volta Lake as the Lake is too wide covering about one third of the country�s total land space.
Speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi in an interview on Peace FM�s �Kokrokoo�, he said though it is the responsibility of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) to ensure safety on the lake, there are several constraints hindering the performance of their responsibilities.
�There used to be a Navy Patrol team ensuring safety on the Volta Lake but is currently lacking the necessary logistics to oversee the vital areas of the lake to enforce full compliance with regulations�almost a third of our land surface is occupied by the lake, so you can imagine the constraints they have in ensuring that all those who use the lake comply with the law,� he said.
Hon. Mike Hammah said they were still educating the boat owners, and the River Police Unit stationed at vantage areas like Kpando-Tokpor and its environs, to check basic safety requirements on the numerous boats that use the Volta Lake.
20 people drowned last Sunday, October 18th, 2009, when two boats capsized on the Volta Lake during a storm. One of the boats was conveying mourners, from Wusua-Tomu, a community along the Afram Plains, when they capsized that Sunday.
The victims were mostly women and children.
Meanwhile, 14 other children and 3 adults, including a pregnant woman, were rescued and have been admitted at the Ayoega Catholic Hospital, in the North Dayi District.
One major problem cited by the Minister was the non-availability of funds. According to him, his outfit lacked the necessary resources and so needed support to import durable patrol boats for the naval patrol team to effectively monitor activities on the lake.
�Our budgetary allocation is scanty and inadequate in purchasing all these equipment which, when available would be given to the Boat Owners Association, for onward distribution to the boat owners,� he added.
Source: Alex Ofei/peacefmonline
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