Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Ghana Navy’s quest to retool, occasioned some good fortune when a Ghanaian engineering company – McHAMMAH ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED – manufactured and donated a new 20-feet multipurpose and highly adaptable catamaran boat, to aid in the amphibious operations of the Navy.
The Ghanaian engineering solutions company made its donation to the Ghana Navy on Wednesday 15 November 2023, at the Forecourts of the Naval Headquarters, Burma Camp, Accra, and was received by the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) – Vice Admiral (V/Adm) Seth Amoama, and the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) – Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu.
Receiving the amphibious vessel, the CDS said the Ghana Navy has been on a quest to build capacity to be able to manufacture boats locally for a while now, and that the boat would greatly help in adding to its fleet of backwater operations capabilities.
Admiral Amoama who described the vessel as a state-of-the-art craft, said the gesture symbolizes the immense value of the partnership between the private sector and the military, and an example of how businesses can actively contribute to the safety and security of a nation.
“This is a reminder that our community, our local businesses, and our armed forces are all interconnected, and together we can overcome any obstacle that may come our way. This interconnectedness and interdependencies were clearly demonstrated during the flooding caused by the Akosombo Dam spillage”, Ghana’s Defence Chief stated.
He continued to say that such a boat could help with patrols, search and rescue operations, as well as moving logistics to Forward Operating Bases (FOB), and thus urged the Navy to facilitate engagements with the Ghana Maritime Authority, for such boats to be designed and built for ferrying of goods and passengers, to reduce the spate of canoe accidents on the Volta Lake, under the Command of the navy’s Riverine Command, which is mandated with the safety and security of riverine bodies.
The CDS recounted that some Naval Officers who had pursued a course at the Regional Maritime University, designed a 6-meter boat which was built subsequently, with the help of Team Works Power Boats, after which the Naval Dockyard, which has been re-designated as a Naval Shipyard, also manufactured a landing craft, which would be used in amphibious exercise.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of McHammah Engineering – Mr Ebenezer Kakra Hammah, said the donation is to strengthen the capabilities of the Ghana Navy, and to recognize the critical role played by the GAF, in safeguarding Ghana’s marine interests, and providing unwavering support to civil authorities.
Mr Hammah cited the recent humanitarian relief efforts of search and rescue operations by the GAF, following the fallouts of the Akosombo and Kpong Dam’s spillage, as an exemplary display of professionalism, for which reason his company’s commitment to supporting the Ghana Navy would go beyond the donation of the vessel, and lead to more collaboration.
He said, by utilizing local resources for all the materials used for the construction of the catamaran boat in the entire construction – which lasted four (4) weeks, from design to construction – his company has not only made an effort to stimulate the economy, but also showcased the immense talent and capabilities of the indigenous Ghanaian business.
McHammah Engineering Company Limited, whose motto is “if it is machine, it is possible”, and possesses the capacity and capability to handle large-scale projects, ensured rigorous trials of the boat for three weeks, to guarantee optimal performance, and adherence to the highest safety standards.
Present at the donation included Brigadier General Matthew Essien – General Officer Commanding, Northern Command, who represented the Chief of the Army Staff; Air Commodore Eric Agyen-Frempong – Commander, Air Force Base, Accra, who represented the Chief of the Air Staff; the Chief Staff Officer, Naval Headquarters – Commodore Prosper Modey, and Senior Officers of the Navy, among others.
