Speed up investigations into boat disaster - Kufuor

Accra, April 20, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has directed the Ministry of Harbours and Railways to speed up the investigation process into the recent Volta Lake boat disaster, that claimed many lives.

The President is deeply shocked by the loss of lives and would want the circumstances that led to this to be unravelled, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, his Press Secretary, said at a Castle press briefing on Thursday.

He conveyed President Kufuor's condolences to the bereaved families and re-affirmed his commitment towards ensuring transportation safety on the Lake through the removal of tree stumps.

The disaster struck at the time he was out of the country on a three-day official visit to the United States (US) at the invitation of President George Walker Bush.

Mr Agyepong also expressed the President's sadness about the news of the death of Alhaji Abdulrahaman Salifu, popularly known as Alhaji C.O.P, the Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He was a staunch member of the Busia-Danquah Political Tradition and his death is seen as a big blow to the Party.

The Press Secretary said President Kufuor's heart and thoughts were with the family of the Alhaji C.O.P.

Other issues he addressed included the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)-Ghana's Compact, and said the President was pleased that a firm date had now been fixed for the signing of the Compact. The country is expected to access about 500 million dollars, which would go into modernising the agricultural sector to positively transform the lives of about three million people in 23 selected districts.

Mr Agyepong said the beneficiary districts were carefully picked and spanned the whole length of the country, the Northern, Afram Plains and the Southern parts of Ghana.

The MCA is an initiative of US President Bush, which rewards countries that rule justly, invest in their peoples and pursue policies that promote private sector growth and reduce poverty. On developments at the Ghana International Airline (GIA), which had generated intense public discourse, the Press Secretary, who is also the Presidential Spokesperson, said issues were being sorted out at the boardroom.

He said it was one of the several entities, the Government had a stake in and that the President wanted to see it become a viable national asset. Answering questions about the current crude oil price, Mr Agyepong said it was worrying for all developing nations and appealed to Ghanaians to understand the difficult situation.