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President Akufo-Addo Presents Five (5) Boats To Navy; Commissions Oil Spill Vessel
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Saturday, 9th September 2023, commissioned five (5) boats for the Ghana Navy Fleet and an oil spill response vessel for the Ghana Maritime Authority.
This is the second time President Akufo-Addo has presented vessels to the Navy, following the presentation of four (4) offshore security vessels for use by the Navy in February 2022.
Amongst the vessels commissioned into service on Saturday by the President are two 27-metre boats, that would be used for patrolling the country’s maritime borders to the East and West.
It will be recalled that Ghana’s western maritime boundary with Cote d’Ivoire was delimited by the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in September 2017, and there are ongoing efforts to delimit Ghana’s eastern maritime boundary with Togo.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “As we protect these maritime territories, there is a need to maintain significant Naval presence, so as to prevent criminals from exploiting any contested areas. The classification of these boats as Boundary Class Ships of the Ghana Navy is fitting, and their names apt.”
The President was happy to note that Ghana Navy Ships HALF ASSINI and AFLAO are products of the co-operation between the governments of Ghana and the United States.
“We are grateful for the benevolence of the government and people of the United States. The United States has supported Ghana’s military revitalization programme through capacity building and enhancement of our capabilities, with the support of the Navy’s Special Boat Squadron and other initiatives with the Army and Air Force,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo continued, “The current 5-year United States, Denmark and Ghana Trilateral Agreement is set to make the Navy’s Special Boat Squadron a tier-one Special Operations Force by 2026. The donation of these two 12-metre Defender Class Boats would greatly enhance the operations of the Navy in dealing with sophisticated operations when the need arises. It is refreshing to see the Navy serving as a glue that is cementing international and local partnerships towards securing our interests at sea.”
He was particularly glad that the Navy and the Ghana Maritime Authority are working together to operate the new flex-fighter, which has been procured for oil spill response.
“As you can see, different players with different expertise, need to come together to work at sea, unlike in other domains. The Petroleum Commission and Ghana National Petroleum Company, both under the Ministry of Energy, are regulator and national operator, respectively, in our upstream oil and gas industry, yet it is the Ghana Maritime Authority operating under the Ministry of Transport that has procured a vessel for oil spill response to be operated with the Navy,” he said.
Having launched the National Integrated Maritime Strategy last week, President Akufo-Addo applauded the team from the Ghana Navy who have built Ghana’s first indigenous landing craft.
“The NAVDOCK 1, which measures 11.5 metres in length, is designed to carry thirty (30) personnel and one (1) ton of cargo. Their effort embodies the ingenuity, determination and can-do spirit of the Ghanaian people. I have been reliably informed that the Ministry of Fisheries and the Naval Shipyard are partnering with some private actors to replace the wooden canoes, used for fishing, with improved aluminium boats,” he added.
He was hopeful that, in time, such collaboration will help develop the country’s shipbuilding industry, and offer jobs to the youth of this country, while mitigating the environmental impact of wooden canoes.
“I charge you to collaborate with our academic institutions and the private sector so that this innovation is developed further to include other platforms for the safe transportation of passengers and goods on the Volta Lake and along our coasts,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo, in conclusion, reminded Ghanaians of the arduous task ahead and the need to work together to guard the country’s maritime frontiers, and protect its interests.
“These vessels symbolise our resolve to safeguard our maritime sovereignty, and I have, thus, no doubt that the crew would live up to the high standards and professionalism that the Ghana Navy embodies. I acknowledge the sacrifices of the families of our servicemen and women who make certain that these gallant sailors have the peace of mind to be at sea to ply their trade,” he added.
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Focus on more pressing issues like Galamsey, not hate speech – Ellen Ama Daaku to Mahama
An aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,Ellen Ama Daaku has advised President John Dramani Mahama to shift his attention from social media hate speech to more urgent national issues such as illegal mining.
Speaking in an interview, she noted that the President’s recent comments about tracking the IP addresses of people who spread hate speech were unnecessary.
According to her, President Mahama must first define what he considers to be hate speech before seeking to punish people for it.
Ms. Daaku argued that the President himself had benefitted from hate speech and social media attacks in the past when he was in opposition.
She said even during his time in government, he described his opponents and their tribesmen in unpalatable terms, which later drew complaints from former President Nana Akufo-Addo to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
She stressed that harsh criticism of leaders on social media should not automatically be considered hate speech, adding that former leaders, including former President Nana Akufo-Addo had all been subjected to it.
“He is only feeling what Nana Akufo-Addo went through for eight years,” she remarked.
While acknowledging the need to regulate misconduct online, Ms. Daaku insisted that going after social media activists should not be a priority.
She noted that many political activists, including herself, had been insulted and attacked online but never called for arrests.
She concluded that President Mahama should focus his energy on solving pressing problems such as galamsey and the economy instead of concentrating on critics on social media.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
