Investment in Navy, one step ahead of marine criminals - President

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday said investment in the Ghana Navy and other security agencies under his watch would place the institution's one-step ahead of syndicated crimes associated with the oil and gas industry.

He said the high crimes such as piracy, armed robbery, oil bunkering, and terrorism, which constituted transnational crimes made the Ghana Navy more relevant through skills training.

President Akufo-Addo said this during the commissioning of the Naval Training Command at Nutekpor in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region as part of his one-day working tour of the region.

The Command, which is sited on a-114-acre land has a first phase including; a Naval training command headquarters, school of marine operations, student and instructors’ accommodation, medical centre, training school administration, library and Mosque.

He said the implication of the nation-wrecking crimes demanded skills and human resource astuteness to contain and the Command would leverage on instilling the core values of Navy, being loyalty, devotion and excellence.

President said it is believed “we shall leverage technology and new training methods to enhance greater training and efficiency.”

The second phase of the project would include; school of marine and electrical engineering, school of applied application, Special Forces training school, diving school, shooting range and barracks accommodation.

He said government and its partners would contribute to the operationalisation of the facility. President Akufo-Addo commended the support of the Agave Traditional Area, the Nutekpor Chiefs for show of tenacity of purpose for the parcel of land for the Command and thanked the contractors for an excellent good job done and hoped their collective aspirations would be met under its Commander, Maxwell Arhen RPT Arhen.

Mr Dominic Nitiwul, Minister of Defence said human resource development hinged on education, which made investment in the Senior High School education most relevant.

He said the professionalism of the security forces, primarily was based on its regiment training modules and training schemes that enabled them to excel adding that it would become a Centre of Excellence and its medical centre opened to the traditional area.

Mr Nitiwul said government’s investments in the security sector was unprecedented and unrivalled by successive governments.

Rear Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of Naval Staff said the discoveries of hydrocarbons in commercial quantities informed the upgrading of training modules for the Ghana Navy towards positioning them to international standards to combat criminals, who were taking advantage of the sector.

Other service Commanders were present.

The President also inaugurated Ketu North 60-bed capacity hospital at a cost of 14.5 million Euros.