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Joy Prime’s Prime Morning celebrates May Day with gallant officers of Ghana Navy
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The flagship morning show on Joy Prime, Prime Morning, became the first in Ghana to host a morning show on a ship at sea with the Ghana Navy.
The Ghana Navy protects the maritime territory of Ghana, making them mostly based at sea. As a result, they are not well known in the country.
As part of this year’s May Day celebrations, the team decided to recognise the effort of the Ghana Navy in nation-building, thereby transmitting the four-hour show live from the Western Naval Command in Takoradi.
The spotlight of the day was based on the activities that take place at sea and the responsibilities of the Ghana Navy as a wing of the Ghana Armed Forces in safeguarding the territorial integrity of the country.
Activities include how ships navigate around the sea, the drill, diving training, how boat arrests are conducted at sea, and the medical aspect of the ship, among other experiences at sea.
The presenters, Roselyn Felli, Asieduwaa Akumia, and KMJ, the Royal Host, participated in some of the activities just to get a feel of how the work is done.
The show brought to life the Ghana Navy by highlighting the untold stories of the personnel at work on the ship and educating viewers who may have an interest in venturing into the force.
Some social media users could not hold their excitement over the impact the show has on them and took to Joy Prime’s pages to share their thoughts.
The Flag Officer Commanding of the Ghana Navy, Commodore E.A. Kwafo, who spoke on the show, shared the recruitment requirement for interested persons.
“You have to be a Ghanaian, and because of the nature of our military training, we don’t forgive. So, you’ll require academic qualifications, and it will determine which branch you belong to. Whether an officer or another rang, we have first-degree holders from various qualifications taking into our various branches. We also have professionals like doctors, lawyers, and engineers. So, it depends on your qualifications and also on your age. The age limit varies, and we have up to a minimum of seventeen and half (17 1/2). But for graduates, it gets to 24 or 25,” Commodore Kwafo explained
He also added that “for lawyers and doctors who, by virtue of their education, are likely to be older, we could extend the age to about thirty-two (32) and normally we take degrees with a science background because sometimes it involves calculation.”
AB2 Akutor Sarah Precious, a 21-year-old diver among the only three female divers in the Ghana Navy, also shared her experience so far after joining the force.
“My experience is that so far, when you get under the water, you can face a lot of challenges. You can see maybe submarines and a lot of other things, but you need to comfort yourself while coming out. You need to be calm and brave.”
The Ghana Navy was initiated by the colonial British administration to conduct seaward patrols and served under the command of British Royal Navy officers. It was later established on July 19, 1959, by an Act of Parliament with two divisions based at the Western regional capital, Takoradi, and Greater Accra, respectively.
Historically, the force was headed by the British until September 1961, when Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, terminated the employment of British officers in the armed forces.
The command structure consists of the Naval Headquarters at Burma Camp, Accra. Its three operational commands are the Western Naval Command at Sekondi, the Eastern Naval Command at Tema, and the Naval Training Command at Nutekpor-Sogakope in the Volta Region.
The force is organised in different departments to monitor and supervise fishing activities and evacuation operations of Ghanaian and other nationals from troubled spots, amongst a broad range of roles.
It was certainly an unforgettable experience for the Prime Morning team at sea with the Ghana Navy in celebration of the 2024 May Day, also called Labour Day.
African leaders have been urged to strengthen political commitment and domestic investment to end preventable maternal deaths and AIDS by 2030.
The call comes as African health ministers and policymakers meet in Accra to deliberate on health financing, health security and universal health coverage across the continent.
Mr Edouard Bizimana, Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, made the call on Tuesday at the opening of the African Union’s (AU) 25th Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra.
He said Africa needed increased domestic investment to build resilient health systems as it continued to grapple with infectious diseases and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Mr Bizimana, who is also Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, said although Africa accounted for nearly 17 per cent of the world’s population, it bore 24 per cent of the global disease burden while having less than three per cent of the global health workforce and only one per cent of global health expenditure.
“Despite maternal mortality declining by nearly 40 per cent since 2000, Africa still accounts for about 70 per cent of maternal deaths globally, while almost two-thirds of people living with HIV reside on the continent,” he said.
Mr Bizimana said the growing burden of NCDs was placing additional pressure on already stretched health systems.
“These figures are not merely statistics. They represent painful human realities, preventable losses and unacceptable inequalities, they remind us that health is not an expense it is a strategic investment and a prerequisite for our sovereignty and development. “he said.
Mr Bizimana said recent global health emergencies had exposed Africa’s vulnerability and underscored the need to expand local production of medicines and vaccines, strengthen the health workforce and improve emergency preparedness.
“Our citizens expect resilient health systems where every mother can give birth safely, every child has access to essential healthcare and every African enjoys quality health services regardless of where they live,” he said.
The two-day summit, being held ahead of the 20th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, has brought together health ministers, policymakers and health stakeholders to identify solutions to Africa’s health financing and security challenges.
Madam Florence Samizi, Tanzania’s Deputy Health Minister, called for stronger collaboration among AU Member States to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.
The summit is being held on the theme: “Advancing Justice, Equality and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, Tuberculosis, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa.”
The meeting is expected to adopt the Accra Declaration, a roadmap to strengthen Africa’s health systems and advance health sovereignty by 2030. -GNA
Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Department of Political Science, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato says the imprisonment of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will have little meaning unless it leads to a broader crackdown on illegal mining.
In a post on his Facebook page on the July 21, 2026, Dr. Zaato said the judgment should mark the beginning of efforts to completely eradicate galamsey and hold all those involved accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
He said the country must work towards restoring polluted rivers, protecting forests and ensuring that people implicated in illegal mining activities are prosecuted.
According to him, those the President has publicly acknowledged to be involved in galamsey should face prosecution.
He called for the prosecution of district chief executives (DCEs), members of Parliament (MPs) and senior political party officials who have been accused of engaging in or supporting illegal mining.
Dr. Zaato further urged the government to take decisive action to end the destruction of the country’s forests caused by galamsey.
He maintained that the imprisonment of Chairman Wontumi would only have a lasting impact if it results in a comprehensive and impartial fight against illegal mining across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
