No compensation for boat victims

Accra, Aug. 22, GNA - Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways on Wednesday said the government could not offer any compensation package to the victims of Dingya Boat disaster.

He said considering the findings or the report of the committee that looked into the disaster, the victims could have been covered by insurance only if the boat owner had insured his boat. "Government is of the view that, the fact that the Committee found the boat unregistered required some penalties and the relevant authorities will be charged to investigate these and institute such action as is appropriate", he added.

Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi who was making the report of the committee known, noted that Government was on course to develop the lake traffic regulation to train boat operators and said the ministry was collaborating with other agencies such as the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and district assemblies to ensure implementation of the committee's recommendations. He stated that the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines would also ensure effective protection of the Digya National Park to avoid further encroachment.

Over 100 people perished onboard a boat on the Volta Lake, about twelve miles from Abotoase in the Jasikan District of the Volta Region when the boat was submerged by tree stumps.

The Committee of Enquiry's Report on the Volta Lake Disaster said the Wild Life Division personnel who were evicting settlers out of the Digya National Park, along the Volta Lake could not be blamed for the accident.

According to the report, it was untenable to allege that the personnel forced evictees into the boat involved in the accident disaster, as findings revealed that they neither forced the people into the boat, nor followed it with their speedboats as alleged. The report said the cause should rather be attributed to the crew who took advantage of the eviction exercise and the absence of other boats, to overload 103 persons, including livestock and other personal belongings instead of the required number of 64 persons. "The four man crew had no formal training in navigation and their on-the-job training did not equip them with the necessary skills to respond to such emergency", it added.

It sated that:" The Wide life Division personnel could not have reasonably foreseen that the eviction exercise would lead to a boat disaster... If overloading contributed to the accident then the crew of the boat, "604" acted negligently and should be help responsible". The Committee's report also revealed that passengers on boat were evictees rather than traders going to the market at Tapa Abotoase as said.

"On the morning of 8th April, 2006, the day of the accident, the Wild Life Division personnel left Gborkope where they pitched their camp at Hokpedzi en route to their various camps in the Brong Ahafo region. They left the area after announcing the arrival of the boat in all the settler communities and saw it leaving to Digya on 8th April, 2006", it added.

The report recommended for legislation that would include the new lake traffic regulations, establishment of a lake Traffic Monitoring and Surveillance Unit, certification of boat builders and operators by the Ghana Maritime Authority.

The Committee also called for the setting up of boat owners associations to facilitate training and control of boat crew and encourage them to set up local rescue and search teams. It said there was also the need to construct a landing station at Tapa Abotoase. 22 Aug. 07