Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union (MDU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called for investigations into the recent near sinking of the Volta Lake Transport Company (VLTC) owned ferry, Nana Besemuna on the Volta River.

MDU believes management of VLTC “compromised on safety measures which resulted in the near sinking of Nana Besemuna.”

The investigation, according to MDU, was therefore to help identify the causes of the accident for appropriate measures to be taken to prevent such occurrences in future and to apply appropriate sanctions against people whose actions and inactions contributed to the accident.

Last month (17th February, 2016,) the ferry which was loaded with passengers and goods whilst travelling from Makango to Yeji nearly sunk.

Two Ghana Navy boats rescued the passengers who were on-board the ferry.

Some media reports had attributed the accident to the overloading of the ferry.

One of such reports said the ferry was carrying 500 passengers.

However, a statement issued yesterday by the General Secretary of MDU, Mr. Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, discounted the media reports.
“The ferry was carrying about 100 passengers; one articulated truck loaded with logs; two DAF trucks carrying yams and dry cassava; one KIA truck which was carrying yams; four private cars and a crew of eight.”

MDU is convinced the accident could have been averted if management of VLTC had taken proactive steps to address the problem of leakages detected on the vessel.

According to the union, the leakages on the ferry had been reported to the Marine and Operations Manager of VLTC whiles management of the company also had adequate knowledge that there were leakages on the Nana Besemuna ferry for about a year before the accident.

“We know that a team of welders from the Maintenance Department of VLTC that were working on the leakages on the ferry were ordered by the Managing Director of the company to stop the repair works on the ferry though he was adequately informed of the seriousness of the leakages on the deck of the ferry. In our view, the leakages on the ferry contributed to the accident,” MDU averred.

It said despite numerous complaints, Nana Besemuna Ferry has been operating without a water pump for more than a year which compelled the captain of the ferry to use a private pump on the vessel at his own cost because management of the company had refused to pay for the cost of operating the water pump.

The statement explained that the water pump was very useful in saving the ferry from sinking.

MDU thanked the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Salaga, Honourable Lukemanu, the Ghana Navy, officials of NADMO, Awugyakope Community, the Salaga District Police and all the people who contributed to the rescue operations of the people and property involved the accident.