Island Communities in Ada grieved and prayed by the banks of the Volta River on March 17, 2023, for the lives of their loved ones who had died.
The scene was depressing.
Due to overcrowding, the boat they were travelling in from Azizanya to Azizakpe capsized, killing five people—two of them were children.
Residents who spoke with the Ghana News Agency stated that, except for riding a boat on the Volta River, there were no other ways for them to go from remote towns to Big Ada and Azizanya, where they could then connect to commercial areas like Ashaiman and Tema to do business and shop.
Some of these settlements include Ayigbo, Azizakpe, Aflive, Pediatorkope, Alorkpem, Kpetsukpanya, Angosikope, Ajim, and Alehusedokope.
The locals asserted that drowning incidents are unusual in their districts, except for the musician Castro’s disappearance a few years ago on their side of the Volta River.
According to Madam Bernice Amanatey, a committed boat traveller, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency, the passengers pay between GHs2.00 to GHs10.00 for each journey.
She mentioned that it was the only way they could sell their goods, which included coconuts, fish, crabs, and oysters among other things, with Ada Foah, Big Ada, Kasseh, Sege, and the other islands.
“The latest boat accident could have been avoided if not for the recklessness of the boat operator and the passengers who proceeded to board despite the boat being overloaded,” she claimed.
Although most boat owners have life jackets on board, Mr. Ebenezer Nartey, Assembly Member for Ada Foah Zongo and Chairman of the Area Council, disclosed that they only offer them to passengers upon request.
Mr. Nartey asserted that despite numerous workshops organized for them on the value of making sure passengers wear life jackets, they still fail to heed the instruction.
He continued, “Most of them followed their desires because the assembly members could not be on the banks of the river to watch their activities.”
Since we aren’t always on hand to keep an eye on the boat personnel, he said, “I guess the problem is with them; they can do as they please and overburden the boat as well.”
He recognized that there has to be more enforcement for the operators to obey the safety requirements, saying “I twice engaged them, but they refused to take my guidance.”
Although the Navy is presently patrolling the area, he claimed that there may not be enough personnel available because the banks span from Big Ada to Ada Foah.
Thus, he advocated for the development of additional Naval bases in the region to deter operators from overloading and other risky behaviours.
The assembly member responded, “we have been talking about that but most of them believe they can swim because they are islanders, therefore we are not encouraging people to require life jackets or refuse to board overly full boats.
Mr. Richard Dick Cudjoe, a philanthropist who focuses on supplying life jackets to people of such island villages, listed the following as causes of such incidents: a lack of life jackets, overloading, operator negligence, operator/passenger disobedience, and adverse weather.
Mr. Cudjoe spoke in favour of adequate enforcement of fines and safety precautions, saying, “Even though we know it’s difficult for the residents who operate to purchase these life jackets, they must use it just like you board a car and must wear a seatbelt.”
He underlined that a boat owner or operator must be aware of their responsibility for the safety of the passengers.
He claimed that it sent the wrong message to tourists who are already travelling through certain regions and that the task force needed to be proactive in examining them to stop similar incidents from happening again.