Minister of Works and Housing, Samuel Atta-Akyea, has commissioned two amphibious dredgers.
The two Watermaster Class V machines belong to Dredge Masters (dm), a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies.
Dredge Masters has since 2015 been undertaking dredging works on the Korle Lagoon in Accra.
The machines come along with latest generation cutting edge technology to shallow water dredging, says Managing Director of Dredge Masters, Captain Khan, in his welcome address at the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.
He said the dredgers are able to combine different works that will otherwise require separate machines.
According to him, the machines would help Dredge shallow water to ease the flow of water and reduce flooding.
He seized the opportunity to appeal to Ghanaians , particularly communities close to the water bodies to desist from using drainages as dumping sites.
Mr. Atta-Akyea under the theme: ‘Dredging for National Development – Improving Lives’, paid glowing tributes to the Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw-Agyapong, for his patriotism and dedicated service to Ghana over the years.
He said upon assuming office in January 2017, the President Akufo-Addo’s administration realized that the erstwhile President Mahama’s regime paid a whopping $9 million to a company to Dredge the Korle lagoon.
He said there was no feasibility study and dredging works done by that company.
However, he said Dredge Masters, which is under the Group Dr. Siaw-Agyapong chairs, has been providing dredging services even though Government was indebted to it.
Dredge Masters was formed in 2015 in the wake of the June 3rd fire-flood disaster in that year which claimed nearly 200 lives.
The Mayor of Accra, Nii Adjei Sowah, speaking at the commissioning ceremony, said the two dredgers were not only part of the efforts to make Accra clean but also resilient.
According to him, since the resumption of works by Dredge Masters two months ago there has been heavy rains in Accra.
However, he said there has not been flooding in Accra because of the dredging works at Korle lagoon.
He urged attitudinal change among the general public, saying making Accra the cleanest city in line with Mr. Akufo-Addo’s vision required the efforts of everyone especially imams, and pastors.
Present at the ceremony was the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Nuhu Osmanu Sharubutu.
BY Melvin Tarlue