Navy gets 4 new patrol boats

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

From Edmund Mingle & Clement Adjei-Boye, Sekondi

Four new patrol boats were yesterday, commissioned by President John Evans Atta Mills for the Ghana Navy, giving a major boast to efforts to protect the nation’s territorial waters.
It is the first time since the establishment of the Ghana Navy 52 years ago that it is being provided with four new patrol vessels at once.
The four snake class fast patrol boats, which would enhance the operations of the Ghana Navy in preventing illegal activities within the nation’s maritime boundary, was commissioned at the Sekondi Naval Base, amidst excitement among the people of the Western region.
They come as a relief for the Navy who were faced with depleting fleet in the face of increasing need to protect the nation’s waters as a result of the oil and gas production on the Jubilee Field in the Western region.
With the provision of the boats, which were procured from China through a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Defence, and Food & Agriculture, the Navy would be able to maintain a continuous presence at sea check security threats that include arms and drugs smuggling, dumping of toxic waste, illegal fishing, pair-trawling and illegal bunkering, among others.
It is in fulfillment of government’s promise to resource the Navy and the Ghana Armed Forces in general to effectively deliver on its mandate of protesting the sovereignty of the country.
The ships, christened Blika, Garinga, Chemleand Ehwor, all snake names were constructed in 18 months after the order was placed by the government in March 2010.
“This is only the first step,” President Mills said, assuring that more resources would be provided to the Navy in the course of the year.
According to him, “the Navy deserves what it is getting today,” saying the protection was the nation’s territorial waters, was crucial for nation security.
In addition to the four boats, he announced that government would also take delivery of two newly refurbished German navy Fast Attack vessels currently undergoing refitting in Germany.
Also he said the ongoing Slipway rehabilitation project would be completed to enable the Navy to carry out docking and periodic refitting locally to save the nation millions of foreign exchange that is spent when for such works abroad.
Furthermore, he said ongoing works for the establishment of a Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System along the enture coast of Ghana would be completed soon.
The system, which would include coastal radar stations with control centres, when completed would enhance surveillance of the coast of the nation’s maritime area.

President Mills, who was happy about the success of the government’s efforts to revamp the Navy, said the need to provide a secure maritime environment for the socio-economic development of the country, “is a responsibility we cannot run away from.”
“With the increasing incidents of piracy and other related maritime crimes, we have no option that to equip our navy to be able to guarantee a secure environment where all legitimate entities can operate freely without hindrance,” he said.
“As the Commander-in-Chief, and as I stay committed to building a better Ghana, I will not relent in my efforts to fully equip the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies to enable our men and women in uniform to perform and derive maximum satisfaction from their chosen feilds of engagement.
Two of the vessels, paid for by the Ministry Food and Agriculture have been dedicated to the fisheries industry by helping to enforce the fisheries regulation at sea. The other two would be used for general naval operations.
“These four ships could not have come at any better time than now as they give us hope that our maritime resources will be jealously guarded,” said Lt. Gen. Joseph Henry Smith, Defence Minister, in his address.
Real Admiral Matthew Quarhie, Chief of the Naval Staff, expressed happiness about the commissioning of the ships, describing it as historic.
“In the history of the Ghana Navy, this is the first time four ships are being commissioned on the same day.
“This is why the Ghana Navy is highly excited and most thankful to the government and Ghanaians for this historic achievement,” he said.
END

Nunoo-Mensah Builds Nurses Quarters, School for two communities

From Edmund Mingle, Agona
Brigadier General (Rtd) Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, Presidential Security Advisor, has urged Ghanaians to choose selfless leaders who promote the interest of the nation, and not those who want power to amass wealth.

“We need selfless leaders who will put the interests of the people above their own and work to seek their wellbeing,” he stressed.

The retired military officer made the call at the inauguration of a six unit classroom block and a nurses’ quarters he built for Agona Nsaba and Agona Kwanyako respectively, both in the Central region on Friday.

According to him, what Ghanaians desired most were politicians who would improve their living standards, and not those who would exploit them to amass wealth.

“The essence of seeking political power is to serve the people and make life better for them,” he said, regretting that many politicians were not interested in serving the people, but only seek their personal interests.

“How can we in this country claim to be devout Muslims or Christians while many of our brothers and sisters live in such deprived conditions. There is no excuse for the poverty in a country like Ghana that is endowed with so much wealth,” he said.

Touching on the threats of violence, the Security Advisor, asked all political parties to ensure that their campaign activities were conducted in a peaceful manner.

“Let no political adventurer test the resolve of this administration to deal with anyone who will attempt to subvert the peace and stability of out dear nation,” he warned.

Explaining the basis on which he undertook the two projects, Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah, said it was his contribution towards improving conditions in deprived communities.

He said although he did not hail from the two beneficiary areas, he found it critical that communities in need must be supported irrespective one’s religion or ethnic background.
The two projects, which are geared at aiding the development of the communities, were inaugurated by former President, Flt. Lt. (rtd)Jerry John Rawlings, who commended Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah for the patriotic and selfless gesture that is worth emulating by all.

The nurses’ quarters is aimed at providing quality accommodation for health workers at the Agona Kwanyako Health Centre to ensure the centre operate a 24-hour service.

It comes with a lot of relief for the nurses who hitherto had to travel long distances to and from the health centre, the only health facility serving thousands in Kwanyako and other 52 surrounding towns and villages.

The six-unit primary classroom block, built for the Agona Nsaba Zongo community primary school, is aimed at providing quality education infrastructure to enhance access to education, as well as improve the quality of teaching and learning in the area.

The various speakers the two events, were full of commendations for Brig-General Nunoo-Mensah, who used his own resources and mobilised funds from other individuals and corporate bodies to undertake the projects.

The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Nuhu Osman Sharabutu, particularly thanked the security advisor for the immense support in building a school for a Muslim community, although he is a Christian.

“We are excited that such benevolent Ghanaians still exit,” he said, and prayed for Allah’s guidance and protection for the retired military officer.

At the inauguration of the nurses’ quarters, Nana Ampem Darko V, Chief of Agona Kwanyako, described the completion of the project as miracle because the quest for a staff bungalow for the health centre, which was built by the community, had been longstanding.