The ranking member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has revealed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in opposition opposed the erstwhile Akufo-Addo government from procuring two offshore vessels for the Ghana Navy.
According to Rev John Ntim Fordjour, the pirates are aware of the Ghana Navy’s lack of offshore patrol vessels, and the vulnerabilities of the security of our waters are being exploited by these pirates.
His comments come after news broke last week that the Ghana Navy has launched an investigation into a suspected pirate attack on a Ghanaian-registered fishing vessel, Mengxin 1.
According to reports, seven armed persons hijacked the ship at approximately 5:53 PM and fired warning shots, forcing several crew members to take cover in a safe area.
The assailants remained on board for about three hours, during which they gathered the crew on deck and confiscated their mobile phones.
Following the attack, the crew discovered that the Captain, Chief Mate, and Chief Engineer all Chinese nationals were missing, leading authorities to suspect they had been kidnapped.
Without mobile network coverage at sea, the crew had to sail closer to land before reporting the incident.
Speaking at a press briefing, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, “You will recall the diligent attempt of the erstwhile government to procure two offshore vessels for the Ghana Navy in 2024. This plan in its final stages was fiercely opposed by the NDC in parliament, who called for the process to be terminated.
“Indeed, subsequently, the process of purchase was thus aborted. As pirates are aware of Ghana Navy’s lack of offshore patrol vessels, the vulnerabilities of the security of our waters are likely to be exploited by these pirates,” he said.
The ranking member further demanded accountability from the National Security for the gold bars and cash some months ago.
“We demand accountability from the National Security for the gold bars and cash retrieved and what they intend to do with it. The Minority Caucus, as responsible opposition as we are in absolute circumspection, has been patient and originally given two clear months for National Security to communicate the status of their investigation with the public,” he demanded.
Rev John Ntim Fordjour further added, “Ghana in the past eight years, had been ranked favourably by notable global organisations as the second most peaceful country in Africa in respect of crime rate and globally, ahead of Australia and Canada.
“It is therefore imperative that under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, Ghana continues to be safe and not degenerate into a safe haven for pirates, drug trafficking and money laundering.”
