Defence Minister cuts the tape to officially commission the boats
The Chinese government has presented four Defender Class boats to the Ghana Navy to be used for maritime patrol and surveillance duties.
The speed boats would also be used for disaster relief, as well as search and rescue operations.
The four vessels are named after four former Chiefs of Naval Staff, who throughout their careers, offered distinguished service and exemplary leadership.
They included Real Admiral John Kodzo Gbenah, Real Admiral Arthur Roby Sampa Nuno, Vice Admiral Matthew Quarshie and Real Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro.
Each boat is fitted with two propulsion engines and a generator.
They are capable of maximum speed of 38 knots and have endurance of 135 nautical miles at 30 knots.
They are also fitted with modern navigational and communication equipment as well as 12.7 millimeters gun.
The boats can therefore be employed in anchorage patrols, maritime interdiction operations against poaching, arms, narcotics, piracy, robbery as well as other criminal acts at sea.
Commissioning the four boats at the Sekondi Naval Base yesterday, the Minister for Defence, Dominic Ntiwul, commended the Chinese government for the gesture and expressed the hope that the boats would augment the Navy’s fleet and improve their effectiveness.
He revealed that the four new boats formed part of a generous grant from the Chinese government to Ghana to reequip the Ghana Armed Forces after a recent visit to China by Vice President Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia.
The Defence Minister pointed out that the boats were not assets only for the Navy but strategic national assets, which every Ghanaian must be interested in.
He noted that various interventions, including attempts to acquire the requisite platforms for use by the Navy, had been pursued in recent times.
“These platforms will also help the Navy protect our offshore oil and gas industry and facility,” he indicated.
“While we continue to explore other opportunities, the four boats and other bigger Offshore Patrol Vessels will make the Navy more efficient in surmounting our maritime threats,” he added.
Accommodation
He disclosed that as part of government’s barracks regeneration programme, the construction of four, 16 unit buildings have started at the Burma Camp.
“Government has also released an amount of GHc23 million to help complete SSNIT housing project, which was started in 2007 but abandoned,” he told the soldiers.
ITLOS
The Defence Minister noted that with the conclusion of the maritime boundary dispute with Cote d’Ivoire recently, oil exploration activities are going to be intensified in the coming years.
“There is going to be vigorous engagement between the two countries to cordially implement the ruling of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS),” he mentioned.
He revealed that government would soon begin negotiations with Togo to peacefully delimit Ghana’s eastern maritime boundary.
Chief Of Naval Staff
The Chief of Naval Staff, Real Admiral Peter Kofi Faidoo, disclosed that the arrival of the boats would help develop offshore oil and gas industry and the rising maritime threats.
He promised that the Ghana Navy would put the four Defender Class boats to good use and maintain them.
Chinese Ambassador
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Sun Baohong, indicated that China was willing to make its contributions to building a safe and sound environment for Africa’s socio-economic development.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Sekondi