Ghana’s waters dangerous for pirates – Govt

Government has asserted that the missing Liberian oil tanker did not disappear within the country’s territorial waters.

Nonetheless, the Ghana Navy has launched a manhunt for the Liberian oil tanker off the coast of Ghana.

Reuters news agency reports the captain sent a distress call to say the vessel was attacked by pirates. The Liberia-flagged MT Fair Artemis last made contact with its manager, Fairdeal Group S.A., at 6 p.m. last Wednesday. Reports claimed it had docked off the coast of Ghana.

But the Deputy Interior Minister, James Agalga has denied media reports the Liberian vessel went missing off Ghana’s coast.

He therefore assured members of the shipping industry their safety in doing business with Ghana is guaranteed.

In his assessment, Ghana’s territory is ‘dangerous for pirates’ to operate, assuring vessels that ‘our waters are very safe’ for them: the ‘safest’ in the West African coast, he stressed.

He noted that Ghana’s navy joined the search party because the country is concerned about the activities of pirates.

He entreated governments to cooperate among themselves to eliminate piracy, reiterating ‘Ghana has done its part, we have ensured that our waters are very safe; put in place measures to ensure the [safety of its waters], we expect that other sister countries will follow suit so that together we can fight piracy’.

Acting Head of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces Lt. Col. Aggrey Quarshie earlier told tells Joy News they are working with Nigerian and Togolese authorities to locate the vessel.