Lake society appeals for equal attention

Yeji (B/A), Dec. 20, GNA - Members of Yeji Cooperative Lake Transport Society have called for equal safety attention on the Lake as was being given to the road transport to offset disasters during the Christmas festivities.

They reiterated their call on the government and the public for assistance in the acquisition of life jackets for use by both the boat operators and passengers who ply the Lake. Mr Noah Kwame Sarfo, Chairman of the Society made the appeal in an interaction with Ghana News Agency at Yeji after a tour of communities sited on the Lake between Yeji in Brong-Ahafo and Mankango in the Northern Region.

He noted that the use of the jackets by both travellers and boat operators would greatly reduce fatalities during accidents.

The Chairman explained that the Society was appealing for assistance because of the high cost of 400,000 cedis for a jacket, which was far beyond the means of members of the Society. He said about 2,000 jackets would be needed to adequately serve the boats and passengers that ply the Lake.

On safety measures being adopted by the Society to reduce accidents on the Lake, Mr Sarfo said boat operators had declared drunk sailing and over-loading as punishable offences.

Besides, weak boats would not be permitted to ply the Lake, he added.

Mr Sarfo also appealed to the Meteorological Services Agency to establish weather posts along the Lake to provide boat operators with timely weather warnings.

He said the Society believed this could save them from running into storms, noting that some of the most tragic accidents occurred during rain storms on the Lake.

The Chairman said a most recent disaster that occurred on the Lake on August 4, this year near Makango, was as a result of a rain storm.