We need more boats - Navy demands

The Navy says it could have responded better to the boat disaster on the Volta Lake if it were better resourced.

More than 40 lives have been lost in boat accidents on the lake in less than two weeks.

Joynews has learnt that apart from the Krachie boat disaster which has reportedly claimed more than thirty lives, another boat earlier capsized around Salaga in the northern region killing thirteen people.

Thirty two bodies have been recovered in the two accidents and the search is on for more bodies.

The Navy says it has been unable to respond promptly to such disasters because it is poorly-resourced.

“What is now required is for them to have the equipment and the resources to do the job that they would have to do,” Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Armed Forces Colonel Mbawine Atintande told Joy News’ Fiifi Koomson.

“They’ll need speed boats, they would need outboard motors, they’ll need other accessories that will enable them to be able to do the job they would have to do.”

“In the last few weeks or months we’ve been talking about resourcing the Armed Forces in general…and it’s still in the same line that Ghanaians would have to understand that if we have to do the job we must do – and most of the time, I think the Navy or the Airforce or the Army will be seen in front attempting to do something. And people know that we should be doing some of these things but then we are hampered seriously by the lack of resources.

“In this particular case I’m sure if we had the necessary boat it would have been far easier for us to be able to contribute to the rescue missing than the case is now,” Colonel Atintande said.

Meanwhile a delegation led by the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister Kojo Nyamekye Marfo is headed to the scene of a boat accident at Krachie. At least eighteen people have been confirmed dead in that accident.