470 water safety guards from Ecozoil Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of Zoomlion Ghana Limited as part of the Volta Lake Transport Safety Project (VLTSP) has graduated to help save lives and properties in the country’s water bodies.
The water safety guards who will be deployed mainly on the Volta Lake were drawn from nine regions across the country.
The guards who were trained at the Eastern Naval Command of the Ghana Navy at Tema in the Greater Accra Region were trained in basic water swimming, water surviving skills, fire-fighting, and water rescue among others.
The guards will be in charge of checking the overloading of boats, ensure the wearing of lifejackets, cleaning the landing sites.
The government through its Private Public Partnership (PPP) is expected to provide free lifejackets for use on the Volta lake.
The Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Commodore Emmanuel Ayenu Kwafo, in his welcome address commended the management of Ecozoil Ghana Limited for providing the personnel for training adding that their training in basic water rudiments will have great impact in saving lives on the Volta Lake.
He disclosed that guards will be deployed in areas like Yeji, Ada-Foah, Kpandai, Tepa-Abotoase, Atimpoku, and Toko among others to ensure safety on the lake.
The Minister for Transport on his part, Kwaku Ofori Asiedu disclosed that the government with the support of the Korean government through a loan facility will provide some life jackets to the transport operators on the Volta Lake to protect life and property.
According to him, these are all intended at improving transportation on the Volta Lake and provide efficient and reliable inland water transport in the country.
In a remark; the Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong pledged to provide three speedboats for the navy to help in their monitoring activities.
