Sammy Awuku challenges GMA over MV Sankofa’s seaworthiness and clearance

Akuapem North Member of Parliament Sammy Awuku is questioning the Green Marine Authority's handling of the MV Sankofa vessel. Specifically, Mr Awuku is demanding an explanation regarding the vessel's seaworthiness, registration, penalties imposed by the GMA, and its clearance to leave Ghana. On August 31, 2025, Mr Awuku posted on Facebook that the Ghana Navy apprehended MV Sankofa off Axim on July 22, 2025, while its Automatic Identification System was inactive.

According to the GMA's inspection report dated July 27, 2025, the vessel lacked 14 statutory certificates, including an oil record book, garbage record book, and sewage holding tank. Mr Awuku also alleged that the vessel's flag, São Tomé and Príncipe, denied ever registering it. The GMA initially imposed a US$1 million penalty but later waived it after a subsequent inspection found no evidence of the vessel trading in Ghana.

Mr Awuku argues that the explanation does not address the broader circumstances of the vessel's presence in Ghanaian waters. He wants documentation shedding light on the legal basis for MV Sankofa's entry into Tema Fishing Harbour, movement to Tema Anchorage, operation within Ghanaian waters, and clearance to leave. He also questioned whether the vessel's movements were merely under the umbrella of innocent passage, asserting that passage under international maritime law should be continuous and swift, with anchoring only permitted under specific circumstances.

If the vessel operated under a different form of clearance or authorization, Mr Awuku insists that the GMA should disclose the legal basis and explain why the US$1 million penalty was waived despite the inspection results and doubts about the vessel's registration. Mr Awuku further raised concerns about an inconsistency in the pollution-related penalties, noting that the GMA's report recorded US$139,200 while an RTI response dated June 12, 2026, stated US$79,200.

The US$60,000 difference remains unexplained and should be clarified. Thus, Mr Awuku has identified three key inquiries for authorities to address: the legal basis for the US$1 million penalty waiver, the reason for the US$60,000 discrepancy in pollution-related figures, and the individual who authorized MV Sankofa's departure, along with the evidence used to prove the vessel had resolved its deficiencies.

Mr Awuku plans to write to Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe and the GMA's Governing Board, requesting the legal opinion, Board decision, or other authorization supporting the penalty waiver, a complete reconciliation of the pollution-related penalties, the identity and office of the official who authorized the vessel's departure, and the inspection and clearance records utilized before it was allowed to sail.

Additionally, he intends to contact the International Maritime Organisation over doubts regarding the vessel's purported registration. Mr Awuku emphasized that a vessel claiming to sail under a flag it claims never granted could raise suspicions of fraudulent registration, while the inspection findings merit scrutiny under international maritime safety and pollution-control standards.

He emphasized that the matter should not be treated as solely a domestic regulatory issue, especially considering the vessel's later appearance under the Ghanaian flag in connection with its detention in Senegal. "A vessel found unseaworthy, unable to substantiate its flag's validity and lacking vital statutory and pollution-control documentation should not transit through Ghana's regulatory system without a complete and documented explanation of how it was cleared to leave," Mr Awuku wrote.

He called for transparency and accountability, stating, "Transparency is the bare minimum; accountability must follow."