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President Akufo-Addo Presents Five (5) Boats To Navy; Commissions Oil Spill Vessel
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Saturday, 9th September 2023, commissioned five (5) boats for the Ghana Navy Fleet and an oil spill response vessel for the Ghana Maritime Authority.
This is the second time President Akufo-Addo has presented vessels to the Navy, following the presentation of four (4) offshore security vessels for use by the Navy in February 2022.
Amongst the vessels commissioned into service on Saturday by the President are two 27-metre boats, that would be used for patrolling the country’s maritime borders to the East and West.
It will be recalled that Ghana’s western maritime boundary with Cote d’Ivoire was delimited by the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in September 2017, and there are ongoing efforts to delimit Ghana’s eastern maritime boundary with Togo.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “As we protect these maritime territories, there is a need to maintain significant Naval presence, so as to prevent criminals from exploiting any contested areas. The classification of these boats as Boundary Class Ships of the Ghana Navy is fitting, and their names apt.”
The President was happy to note that Ghana Navy Ships HALF ASSINI and AFLAO are products of the co-operation between the governments of Ghana and the United States.
“We are grateful for the benevolence of the government and people of the United States. The United States has supported Ghana’s military revitalization programme through capacity building and enhancement of our capabilities, with the support of the Navy’s Special Boat Squadron and other initiatives with the Army and Air Force,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo continued, “The current 5-year United States, Denmark and Ghana Trilateral Agreement is set to make the Navy’s Special Boat Squadron a tier-one Special Operations Force by 2026. The donation of these two 12-metre Defender Class Boats would greatly enhance the operations of the Navy in dealing with sophisticated operations when the need arises. It is refreshing to see the Navy serving as a glue that is cementing international and local partnerships towards securing our interests at sea.”
He was particularly glad that the Navy and the Ghana Maritime Authority are working together to operate the new flex-fighter, which has been procured for oil spill response.
“As you can see, different players with different expertise, need to come together to work at sea, unlike in other domains. The Petroleum Commission and Ghana National Petroleum Company, both under the Ministry of Energy, are regulator and national operator, respectively, in our upstream oil and gas industry, yet it is the Ghana Maritime Authority operating under the Ministry of Transport that has procured a vessel for oil spill response to be operated with the Navy,” he said.
Having launched the National Integrated Maritime Strategy last week, President Akufo-Addo applauded the team from the Ghana Navy who have built Ghana’s first indigenous landing craft.
“The NAVDOCK 1, which measures 11.5 metres in length, is designed to carry thirty (30) personnel and one (1) ton of cargo. Their effort embodies the ingenuity, determination and can-do spirit of the Ghanaian people. I have been reliably informed that the Ministry of Fisheries and the Naval Shipyard are partnering with some private actors to replace the wooden canoes, used for fishing, with improved aluminium boats,” he added.
He was hopeful that, in time, such collaboration will help develop the country’s shipbuilding industry, and offer jobs to the youth of this country, while mitigating the environmental impact of wooden canoes.
“I charge you to collaborate with our academic institutions and the private sector so that this innovation is developed further to include other platforms for the safe transportation of passengers and goods on the Volta Lake and along our coasts,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo, in conclusion, reminded Ghanaians of the arduous task ahead and the need to work together to guard the country’s maritime frontiers, and protect its interests.
“These vessels symbolise our resolve to safeguard our maritime sovereignty, and I have, thus, no doubt that the crew would live up to the high standards and professionalism that the Ghana Navy embodies. I acknowledge the sacrifices of the families of our servicemen and women who make certain that these gallant sailors have the peace of mind to be at sea to ply their trade,” he added.
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NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.
This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.
The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.
“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”
Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.
The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.
According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.
He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”
“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.
The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”
A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.
Story By : Vivian Arthur
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
