Liberians refused entry

One hundred and sixty-seven Liberians on board "Mu Alnar", a Swedish vessel, which berthed at the Tema Port on Sunday and were not allowed to disembark have left for Liberia.

However, the Ghanaians on the vessel disembarked.

Director of Naval Operations, at the Naval Headquarters, Naval Captain Albert Addison said though the Liberians had paid their fares, "their large number makes it suspicious". He said pressure would be exerted on the Captain to sail back with the Liberians, who paid 75 dollars each.

The Ghanaians, made up of 46 males, 50 females including 38 children have gone through immigration procedures and were given lorry fare to travel to their various destinations.

He said one of the three pregnant women among the Ghanaians, who delivered their babies on board, were doing well.

Captain Addison, said, "20 Nigerians and two Sierra Leoneans, who are in transit, were initially not allowed to disembark, but acting on instructions, we have allowed them to disembark to go through the necessary procedures while transport arrangements would be made for them by their Embassies to travel back home".

Meanwhile there is heavy security presence at the Port to ensure that the Captain of the ship complies with the directive to sail back. The vessel, which operates along the West Coast, was allowed to sail to the port to enable the Ghanaians to disembark.

The original Captain abandoned the vessel, which compelled the owner Captain Heinning Keiderg to allow him to take over.

Ghana News Agency reports say the Liberians, who looked pale and weak and were crying, expressed surprise at the treatment meted out to them.

They said they were genuine passengers and were not expecting the harsh treatment from Ghanaian authorities.

Some of them, mostly men, threatened: "if you send us back the fate of over 500,000 Ghanaians at Liberia is in our hands". Representatives of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, Immigration Service, Port Health and security agencies were at the port but officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation were absent.

Mr. David Bassey Adams, one of the Nigerians in transit, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency at the Headquarters of the Ghana Immigration Service, said they set sailed from Monrovia on June 1 and got to Tema on June 5, but were not allowed to berth until June 10.

He said they ran out of food and water since they had been told that the journey was going to take only three days. Mr Adams said before they disembark at about 1700 hours on Sunday, the Ghanaian authorities replenished the food and water supplies on the ship.

He confirmed: "the Liberians said they were going to attack Ghanaians when they go back."