Accra, Oct. 29, GNA - Three former Chiefs of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Ghana Navy have been honoured for their contributions to the Navy and their selfless and dedicated service to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

The three, Rear Admiral Kelvin Dzang, Rear Admiral Joy Amedume and Commodore Steve Obimpeh, were honoured at a ceremony at Sekondi Naval Base where three naval speed boats classified as CNS class boats were named after them.

The ceremony was held to present certificates of the three defender boats to the Minister of Defence by Mr Donald Teitelbaum, US Ambassador to Ghana.

A statement by the GAF on Wednesday quoted Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Defence, as saying, Ghana had the responsibility of protecting her maritime interest and creating a conducive and secure environment for harnessing her maritime resources for national development.

Mr Kan-Dapaah noted that the recent offshore oil find posed additional challenges such as security, protection of oil rigs, illegal bunkering and pollution control to the Navy. He expressed the hope that the new boats would go a long way to improve the operational efficiency of the Ghana Navy and also foster the already good relations existing between the two countries. The CNS, Rear Admiral A.R.S. Nuno, expressed gratitude to the US for the gesture, which, he said, had boosted the capacity of the Ghana Navy.

He commended officers, ratings and civilian employees for contributing to keep the Navy afloat in spite of daunting challenges and urged them to take good care of the boats. Cutting the ribbon, Mr Teitelbaum said the boats, which cost 1.7 million dollars, represented a joint effort to provide seaborne capabilities for action from interdiction to rescue. Mr Commodore Steve Obimpeh expressed gratitude for the honour done them.