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1000 days in captivity, the seafarer’s nightmare

In his quest for greener pastures and fend for his family, a young seafarer Jewel Ahiable left the shores of Ghana with huge hopes of turning his fortune around for the better.

Aboard MV Iceberg 1 ship, the then 31-year-old Jewel Ahiable was beaming with confidence for brighter days ahead and a chance to make things better for himself and his family.

Unknown for him, was the most terrifying, harrowing, dreadful and torturous 1000 days of his life and that of his crew ahead of them, in the middle of the sea, filled with sorrow, grief and regret with no hope in sight.

What was supposed to be a smooth sail, became a nightmare, when six months into a 10-month contract with Azal Shipping and Cargo, LLC, Dubai, on March 2010, Jewel and 23 other crew members were hijacked by Somali pirates and held captive for 1000 days, one of the longest held piracy victims.

Jewel is a marine electrical engineer, who studied at the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in 2003 then Maritime Academy and purposed to work onboard a ship. He secured his first ship in 2006, had the first experience as a seafarer and returned home safely after three months.

Jewel then joined the second ship in 2008 and worked for a year before returning home in 2009 after another successful sail.

Later in 2009 he moved on to a new company for better remuneration-the MV Iceberg 1 ship and graciously departed Ghana on September 29, 2009 to Oman.

The journey started smoothly as they moved from one country to the other with their last voyage taking them from Dubai to the Port of Eden in Yemen.

They had left very late on March 28, 2010 and arrived the following day, March 29 at 7:45am when Jewel was about having breakfast, only to hear the emergency alarm ring.

Just when they were about to find out the reason for the alarm, bullets started flying in the air into the ship and eventually they were hijacked and captured by Somali pirates, taken hostage to Somalia for a ransom to be paid before their release.

They eventually arrived at Somalia in four days where the torturous, two years, one month (1000 days) ordeal began.

Jewel(sixth from right) shared his story at SWAIMS training

During the period, the vessel ran aground, food, water, medical supplies all finished, causing the death of a crew member who was initially dumped into a deep freezer and later thrown into the sea while another member went missing.

“We went on hijack attempts of two ships but was unsuccessful, the United Nations (UN) came in at a point and wanted to take the body of the dead colleague but the pirates did not agree and rather threw the body into the sea,” he narrated.

“We continued to suffer and endured difficult moments. We were beaten, stabbed and one of our Chief Engineers’ ear was cut into pieces and isolated for a year to suffer excruciating pain,” he added.

At the point the crew felt abandoned and forsaken as all attempts to get rescued proved futile and they practically gave up in life because there seem to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

The hijackers were only obsessed with their quest to amass fortune and deafened their ears to the cry of the innocent humans.

That was until December 10, 2012 when they heard another shooting towards the ship and this time, for rescue purposes. The rescue by Puntland Maritime Police Force from Somalia lasted for 13 days as the pirates would not give up easily. The police eventually managed to take the pirates away, evacuate the 22 remaining ‘victims’ who stepped foot on ground for the first time in 1000 days.

“It was a very difficult time for my family as it took them three months to hear that I was hijacked. They went around for help and God protected us all,” he stated.

Painfully, he also lost the love of his life to another man during the period since there was no communication. “We came back on December 23, 2012 and she got married in February 2013. I lost her contact so she moved on,” he said. Jewel is however currently married with two children.

The near-death experience for Jewel during the captivity had become a learning curve for many seafarers as he managed to come out with a book titled ‘Hijacked! 1000 Days’ Harrowing Experience in the Hands of Somali Pirates’ to not only narrate his ordeal but recommend solutions.

The 44-year-old has also become a resource person to maritime institutions with one of his recent endeavours-a presentation at the ongoing Support for West Africa Integrated Maritime Security (SWAIMS) training in maritime affairs and security at the RMU.

He advised participants to be guided by their instincts before embarking on a journey, take their training seriously while calling for drills on every ship on how to escape such attacks.

Unfortunately, after the ordeal, the survivor’s salaries were not paid by the company while the government of Ghana, though promised to pay compensations to them, had since not reached out despite several attempts.

By Michael D. Abayateye

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Communication Ministry To Train 3000 Girls This Year Under The Girls-In-ICT Initiative

The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations is set to train 3,000 girls under this year’s Girls-In-ICT Initiative.

The 2025 edition of the programme will expand its footprint to three key regions: Volta, Upper East and Upper West, with each region hosting 1,000 girls for in-person training sessions.

This marks a significant increase in reach and impact compared to previous years, where only 500 girls received face-to-face training while an additional 500 participated online.

By offering full in-person training to all participants this year, the Ministry aims to provide a more immersive and hands-on experience in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education.

The Minister, Samuel Nartey George (MP) revealed this when a team from TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) paid a courtesy call on him today in his office and expressed interest in supporting the Girls-In-ICT Initiative.

During the meeting, the TCS team led by the President-MEA, Sumanta Roy commended the Ministry for its efforts in promoting digital inclusion and bridging the gender gap in technology through the Girls-In-ICT programme.

They emphasized the alignment of the initiative with TCS’s global corporate social responsibility agenda, which includes advancing education, promoting digital skills, and empowering underrepresented groups, especially young women in the tech industry.

The Honourable Minister welcomed the interest shown by TCS and noted that strategic partnerships like this are essential to the sustainability and expansion of the initiative.

The Girls-In-ICT Initiative, one of the Ministry’s flagship programs, seeks to equip young girls with practical digital skills and introduce them to the vast opportunities within the ICT sector.

The initiative also aims to address gender disparity in STEM fields and encourage greater female participation in Ghana’s digital economy.

Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP) speaking about the 2025 rollout, stated: “This year’s program represents our commitment to building inclusive digital skills and creating future leaders in tech.

By expanding in-person sessions to all participants, we’re ensuring that every girl has the opportunity to learn, engage, and grow with hands-on support from professionals and mentors”.

Participants in this year’s training will receive instruction in coding, basic computer operations, cybersecurity and creative digital tools.

The programme also features mentorship sessions with women in tech, ICT competitions and career development workshops designed to build confidence and spark innovation among the girls.

According to the Minister, empowering girls today with ICT skills will transform communities and drive national development. The initiative is a key part of Ghana’s broader digital transformation agenda, which emphasizes equitable access to digital tools and education for all citizens.

About the Girls In ICT Initiative:

The Girls-in-ICT (GIICT) Initiative was introduced in Ghana in 2012. It is an initiative by the International Telecommunications Union to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider studies and careers in the growing field of ICT.

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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank

A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.

The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.

The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.

Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.

The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.