Rear Admiral Seth Amoama
The Ghana Navy will soon take
delivery of new ships for the protection of the country’s offshore oil and gas
infrastructure.
Minister of Defence, Dominic
Nitiwul the government is procuring two offshore patrol vessels “with reach and
endurance capable of staying at sea for a long time to be able to patrol our
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles and extended continental
shelf of 350 nautical miles.”
“We have also signed a
contract worth 200 million dollars for the construction of a forward operating
base at Ezinlibo and associated patrols boats in the western region to give
close protection to out offshore oil and gas infrastructure,” he added during
the International Maritime Defence Exhibition and conference in Accra on Wednesday.
“As we all know the sea is the super high way for global trade and Africa’s quest
for a continental free trade area cannot be successful without a secured
maritime domain,” he said, adding “this means, as Africa mobilizes to navigate
the future together now through the 2050 Africa integrated maritime strategy,
interagency cooperation as well as joint and combined collaboration among land,
sea, and air forces in Africa, would be integral to the achievement of this
vision.”
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS),
Rear Admiral Seth Amoama said piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea
continue to pose significant threat to regional and international shipping.
“Incidents of theft,
kidnapping for ransom, illegal fishing and drug trafficking are common across
our oceans.”
To address these maritime
security challenges, the CNS said several collaborative attempts have been made
and key among them was what he called “the synergistic approach to dealing with
maritime crimes.”
The conference organised by the Ghana Navy in conjunction with Great Minds Events, forms part of the Navy’s 60th anniversary celebration and was being attended by over 15 chiefs of navies from Africa and beyond and several other very senior admirals as well as over 300 delegates and exhibitors from 25 countries and 34 organisations.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey
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