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.