Three Nigerian stowaways have
been disembarked at the Tema Port after they were discovered on board
an Europe bound vessel.
The three, whose names were not given, said they
were travelling in search of greener pastures, and that they boarded the
said vessel separately at the Port of Lagos, in Nigeria.
Colonel Joseph Punamane, Tema Port Security
Manager, stated that two of the stowaways revealed that this was not their
first attempt to travel illegally to any Western country, as according to
them, they succeeded some years back, but were deported to Nigeria.
Colonel Punamane said that the stowaways said
they were sure of succeeding in their latest attempt, but were discovered
at the Tema Port.
He said that they would be repatriated to their
country for further action in accordance with standard practice.
Colonel Punamane gave the assurance that the
Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) had resolved that its ports
would not be a conduit for individuals, who want to travel overseas
illegally.
The Security Manager advised young people to
desist from embarking on illegal voyages to Europe, which could lead to extreme
injuries and death.
He expressed regret that though people were
aware of dangers associated with stowaways, they embarked on such journeys
out of desperation, and they did not care about the consequences of their
action.
In another development, a 45-member delegation
from the Nigerian Army War College Course 3 had visited the Tema Port on a
study tour.
The study tour was to sensitise course
participants on port operations and security measures put in place at
Ghana’s sea ports, to counter security concerns in the West African sub-region.
Speaking to the delegation, Colonel Punamane revealed that Ghana was yet to record any significant threat to its territorial waters.
He, however, said the country’s security agencies were collaborating with their counterparts in neighbouring countries to curb piracy and robbery in the Gulf of Guinea. – GNA