Dredge Masters Limited (DML), a wholly-owned Ghanaian company and a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), has launched its newly acquired dredgers—the Amphibious Dredgers Classic V series.

The newly acquired dredgers are to add to DML’s already existing fleet to enable it further save lives, properties and livelihoods.

This amphibious multipurpose dredger, according to experts, is able to combine different works that would otherwise require separate machines, including raking, piling, excavating and suction dredging.

The ceremony, which was held in Accra on Tuesday was under the theme, “Dredging for National Development-Improving Lives’’.

In an address, the Managing Director (MD) of DML, Captain Ansar Ahmed Khan, disclosed that the Amphibious Dredgers Classic V series have the latest generation cutting edge technology to shallow water dredging.

“They can deal with different challenging situations more efficiently,” adding that the production of these dredgers is about 50% higher.”

According to Captain Khan, the amphibious dredgers will not only add up their fleet but more importantly, enhance his company’s capacity to control floods, dredge rivers, lagoons and dams.

The acquisition of these new multipurpose dredgers, the MD of DLM disclosed, was made possible through their partnership with Aquamec Limited of Finland—the world leader in the manufacturing of amphibious dredgers—whose Vice President attended the programme.

“We all know that flooding is a natural phenomenon which affects all countries of the world including the most advanced countries, but what we [DML] have tried to do over the years and are seeking to do is to manage some of the factors that cause floods, and reduce its devastating effects on human life and property,” Captain Khan said.

Against this backdrop, Captain Khan appealed to Ghanaians, especially those living close to water bodies to stop the practice of using drainages as dumping receptacles.

The Minister of Works & Housing, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, was full of praise of the Executive Chairman of the JGC, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong.

According to him, Dr Siaw Agyepong was contributing immensely in every sphere of development towards making Ghana a prosperous country.

He intimated that though the central government owed him loads, it has not stopped him from contributing his quota towards the development of Ghana.

In this regard, he stressed the need to encourage and support Ghanaian entrepreneurs to enable them make Ghana prosperous, “without which we will always be marking time with our developmental agenda.”

Mr Atta Akyea affirmed that development is apolitical; stressing that there should be no room for political considerations when the subject is about development.

“Let’s stop all the funny games when it comes to development,” he advised.

Furthermore, the works and housing minister disclosed that Cabinet has approved a 200million USD World Bank project awaiting parliamentary approval.

When approved, he said, the fund would help deal with the many challenges associated with the Odaw channels.

For his part, the Mayor of Accra, Mr Adjei Sowah, indicated that the launching of the amphibious dredgers was part of the programme of making the capital city, Accra, clean.

He attributed the absence of major flooding in the city to the on-going hard work being done by DML in the Odaw River and Korle Lagoon, commending DML for their strenuous efforts.

The mayor of Accra used the opportunity, therefore, to reiterate the need for dwellers in Accra and those who travel to the capital city to refrain from littering and haphazard dumping of refuse.