Remove stumps to ensure safety on Volta Lake – Akumfi

The government has been advised to ensure the cutting down of tree stumps in the Volta Lake if accidents on the river are to be reduced to their lowest.

The suggestion has come from a former Minister of Harbours and Railways, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, who spoke with Chief Jerry Forson on Accra100.5FM’s morning show, Ghana Yensom, on Wednesday June 8, 2016.

Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi said following previous boat disasters during the tenure of the John Kufuor administration in 2002 and 2006, he, as sector minister, decided to act on the situation, for which reason the government at the time partnered a Canadian firm, Clark Sustainable Research Development Limited, to cut and market the trees in the water to generate revenue which was to be be shared between the two parties, an exercise the company had elected to carry out at no charge to the state and with its own equipment.

He said the company began the first phase of the project in 2007 through 2008, when the NPP left power, until 2010, when its contract was extended. But the company abandoned the project due to problems unknown to him, stalling the project and the re-emergence of the tree stumps, which have led to boat disasters in recent times.

He said what the Canadian company was doing would have gone a long way to benefit the country and urged that it be brought back to continue its unfinished business in order to save lives of persons crossing the river.

“…I would wish that if they abandoned the project because of some problems they ran into, we should find out the reason. I suggest we go looking for them because it is an exercise the Ghana government will have to continue,” the former Techiman North MP suggested.

He said another company could also be sought to “follow that line of action so that most of the trees can be removed so that at night boats can use the river, even at night”.

“Creating pathways on the lake by removing the tree stumps will ensure the greatest safety for transportation on the lake,” he added.

Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi said though stumps in the lake accounted for most accidents, laxity in patrolling of the edges of the lake by the navy, overloading, and travelling at night without light were also to blame.

The Volta Lake’s most recent accident was on Sunday May 29, which claimed the lives of 14 persons