The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has spent an amount of Ghc87.625, 090.96 million cedis to remove tree stumps on the Volta Lake, the country's largest inland waterway.

The money was spent to remove a total of some 21,265 tree stumps on the waterway.

The project was carried out by the Kete Krachi Timber Recovery (KKTR) Ltd.

between 2019 and 2023.

This was identified by the Auditor General's performance report on the safety of inland water transport on the Volta Lake.

The audit was done between January and March 2024.

According to the report, the exercise covered 68 meters high within 300 meters wide from five inland waterways namely Yeji-Mankango, Yeji-Awujakope, Dambai-Njare, Bridge Ano-Ntoaboma Crossing and Agordeke waterways.

A total of 21,268 tree stumps were identified by GMA out of which 21,265 were removed.

The remaining three tree stumps on the Yeji-Mankango waterway were not removed due to religious reasons.On the Yeji-Mankango waterway, some 3,553 pieces of tree stumps were identified, and 3,550 were removed in 2019 at the cost of GH₵9, 587,500 million; in 2020, a total of 4,723 stumps were removed on the Yeji-Awujakope area at the cost of GH₵11,484,306 million.

It also cost GMA GH₵19, 971,372.96 million to remove some 10,499 stumps on the Dambai-Njare stretch of the water in the year 2021.

In the following year (2022), GH₵13,138,488 million was spent to remove some 1,179 pieces of stumps on the Bridge Ano-Notoaboma crossing area.

In 2023, Ghc33, 443,424 million was spent to remove some 1,317 stumps at the Agordeke enclave, the highest amount spent throughout the five-year project.

The project was aimed at reducing waterway accidents on the lake.

Mostly, tree stumps are the cause of accidents on the Volta Lake.

Over the years, many lives and goods were lost to the lake as a result of accidents while transporting on the water.

Bad weather conditions have also caused some of these accidents.

Meanwhile, the Auditor General concluded the audit by identifying that "GMA had not removed tree stumps impeding safety of navigation on the inland waterways; hence commuters are at risk of losing their lives or goods from tree stumps yet to be removed".

On recommendation, the Auditor General said, "We recommend that GMA should expedite the assessment of the Volta Lake and take steps to ensure the removal of tree stumps in the waterways to improve the safety of navigation".

Many commuters remain vulnerable to using traditional watercraft on the Volta Lake due to the existence of tree stumps in some areas, and the lack of technology for accurate navigation.

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