The Public Relations Officer for the Volta Lake Transport Company, Mr. Daniel Perprah-Agyei had indicated that, Ghana’s decision to sign onto the IMF Program has been the reason for the delay in procuring a new ferry for the people of the Kwahu Afram Plains North District.
Speaking at a forum organized by Nana Otukwa Mpareko VI (Kwahu Asabi Chief) at Amankwa, Mr. Daniel responded that, procurement processes were started until the IMF Program came up.
“We started the process long ago to secure a new ferry until the IMF Program came up to halt it. Currently, we are hoping that, a new ferry under the Korean-Exim Bank project will arrive any moment to help serve the people of Kwahu Afram Plains North District. This ferry is coming with a ferry landing stage and other auxiliaries” he stated.
Responding to what the challenges have been so far and what has been the reason behind the continuous breakdown, the PRO stated that, the parts of the ferry aren’t readily available in Ghana hence the delay in getting the parts to replace those that have broken down.
“The challenge has been that, the parts are not in Ghana for us to purchase. We have to place order from outside the country and the procurement process is a bit tedious. We have initiated the process and hopefully, everything would be in place within the shortest time” he added.
Currently, the ferry operating on the Agordeke to Kpando-Torkor stretch of the Volta Lake had broken down, leaving passengers stranded. To help transport people and goods whiles work is ongoing on fixing the ferry, a boat has been provided.
Passengers crossing the Volta Lake with a boat
In the months of March, the ferry on the River Afram had also broken down continuously, leading to an emergency meeting between the Members of Parliament and District Chief Executives of the Kwahu Afram Plains North and South Districts, to address the challenge.
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Asked if he could give a timeline to which the new ferry and it’s auxiliaries would be available, he said that won’t be possible.
Broken ferry on the Volta Lake
“As I said, the Korean-Exim Bank project is still in progress and it comes with a landing stage just as we have at Ekye-Adawso. We hope that it comes in time so that we all can feel free to travel. However, I wouldn’t be able to give a timeline as to when the current ferry can be fully serviced due to the nature of the procurement process. Giving you a timeline wouldn’t be possible” he added.
He further added that, a quick response team comprising of engineers have been set aside to respond to challenges for now whiles an engineer has also been brought from South Africa to assess the situation at Kpando-Torkor for a better solution.
Nana Dokua Adobea I (Akuapem Abontenhemaa) who serves as the President for Asabi Royal Ladies urged the Volta Lake Transport Company to be proactive in addressing the challenges facing the ferries rather than being reactive.
