The Minority Caucus in Parliament is calling on the government to take immediate and decisive action to improve safety on the Volta Lake following a tragic boat accident near Kete Krachi that claimed 15 lives on Saturday, October 11, 2025.
In a statement signed by Kennedy Nyarko Osei, Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Roads and Transportation, the Minority extended condolences to the bereaved families and described the incident as another painful reminder of the government’s failure to ensure safety on the country’s inland waterways.
“The recurring tragedies on the Volta Lake demand the government’s immediate and conclusive action to protect public safety,” the statement said.
The Minority recalled that in 2020, the then New Patriotic Party (NPP) government secured a USD 150 million facility from the Korean Exim Bank to finance the installation of modern inland water transport infrastructure, including floating pontoons, to support the operations of the Volta Lake Transport Limited.
According to the Caucus, a comprehensive feasibility study conducted by Vision Consult, a Ghanaian engineering firm, has already outlined the infrastructure requirements and proposed strategies to transform the Volta Lake into a safe and efficient transport corridor.
“This project is designed to make the Volta Lake a functional inland waterway integrated into a nationwide multimodal transport system,” the statement noted.
The Minority urged the current administration to prioritize the project and ensure the prompt release and use of the funds, stressing that any further delay would amount to a “profound failure of duty” to protect the nearly two million Ghanaians who depend on the lake for transportation and livelihood.
The statement also called on the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) to intensify its regulatory oversight of inland water transport across the Volta Lake and the Afram Plains. The Caucus emphasized the need for strict registration of vessels, enforcement of loading regulations, and the elimination of overloading to prevent future disasters.
“The Volta Lake is a critical national asset, and we owe it to the memories of those we have lost, and to the millions who continue to rely on it, to take urgent steps to ensure inland water transport safety,” the statement concluded.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
