The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has handed over 300 life jackets to boat operators and fishers in Dambai to promote safety compliance and reduce fatalities on the Oti River.
The donation, made at the Dambai Ferry Station, benefited three groups: the Boat Owners and Operators Association-Dambai, A1 Boats and the Inland Canoe Fishers Association, with each organisation receiving 100 life jackets.
The intervention formed part of the Authority’s Life Jackets for Safety and Livelihood Initiative, which allows inland waterway operators to acquire life jackets at subsidised prices and pay in monthly instalments to ease the financial burden of obtaining essential safety equipment.
The Deputy Director of the Technical Services Division and Head of Inland Waterways at the GMA, Captain Kodjo Adjarko Osei, said the high cost of life jackets had been a major challenge for some operators and contributed to non-compliance with water safety regulations.
He said the Authority was addressing the challenge by improving access to affordable life jackets, stressing that their use was critical to preventing avoidable deaths during water transport accidents.
Captain Osei noted that the intervention also supported the enforcement of the Authority’s “No Life Jacket, No Sailing” directive, introduced earlier this year during the launch of its Safety Guards Programme.
He said making life jackets readily accessible was essential to ensuring that operators complied with safety regulations before embarking on journeys on inland waterways.
The Krachi East Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Safo Nketiah, who spoke on behalf of the community, commended the Authority for its efforts to safeguard the lives of people who relied on waterways for their livelihoods.
He noted that nearly 40 per cent of residents in Dambai engaged in lake-related activities, making the provision and use of life jackets crucial to protecting lives and sustaining economic activities in the area.
Mr Nketiah urged the Authority to sustain such interventions to improve water safety awareness and encourage greater compliance among boat operators and fishers.
Beneficiaries lauded the GMA for the intervention, describing it as a significant step towards improving safety on the Oti River.
They pledged to use the life jackets for their intended purpose and comply with established safety requirements to protect lives and promote safer inland water transport.
The initiative underscores the GMA’s commitment to enhancing safety standards on inland waterways by addressing barriers to accessing life-saving equipment and reinforcing compliance with maritime safety regulations.