GMA Board Sensitises Boat Operators in Ada
The engagement, which forms part of the Board’s monitoring tour, allowed the team to engage directly with those on the front lines of water transport.
The meeting also served as a platform for the GMA to gather firsthand accounts of the challenges faced by operators in the area where the lake meets the sea.
Equitable Support
Speaking on behalf of the operators, the Chairman of the Ada East Inland Canoe and Fishermen Association, Ebenezer Ofoe Akpo, commended the GMA for its ongoing efforts to minimize accidents. 
He noted, however, that safety interventions in the lower reaches of the Volta Lake have long been overshadowed by those in the upper sections, pointing to a perceived disparity in the distribution of resources.
Mr Akpo observed that while the GMA has been highly visible in providing support to operators in the northern sectors of the Volta Lake, those operating at the lower end, particularly in Ada, feel left behind.
“Ada is a unique terrain characterized by numerous islands, making water transport the primary means of movement for people and goods. We have been doing our best to maintain safety, but we need the same level of institutional support you are giving to those in the Kete-Krachi areas,” Mr Akpo stated.
Pleasure Boat Threat
A primary safety concern raised by the operators involves the activities of hotels and luxury resorts lining the lake in Ada.
According to the Association, high-speed pleasure boats owned by these establishments often create massive waves due to speeding, which destabilize smaller wooden ferries and fishing canoes. 
“The speed at which these pleasure boats ply the lake is dangerous. The resulting waves frequently threaten to capsize our boats, putting the lives of many passengers at risk,” Mr. Akpo lamented.
He appealed to the GMA to intervene by regulating the speed and conduct of resort-owned vessels.
GMA
Responding to these concerns, the Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Dr Kamal-Deen Ali, expressed his gratitude to the operators for their proactive stance on safety. 
He assured them that the Authority is committed to ensuring that safety standards are applied uniformly across the country’s inland waterways.
Dr Ali further pledged that the GMA would immediately initiate a multi-stakeholder engagement to sensitize all players and ensure a licensing regime are enforced for both commercial operators and resort owners.
“The GMA team will engage with the hotel and resort owners, the District Assembly, and the traditional leadership of Ada to establish clear protocols that protect everyone on the water,” Dr Ali said.
He emphasized that the feedback regarding “lower lake” support would be factored into the Authority’s upcoming strategic plans to ensure no community is marginalised in the quest to minimize boat incidents across the board.
