The Member of Parliament for Ada, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe has called for an investigation into the death of five people who were traveling from Azizanya to attend a funeral at Azizakpe in the Ada East District on Saturday.
According to reports, the canoe estimated to carry some 25 people was carrying over 40 people on board with additional goods which.
Speaking on the Morning Starr with Francis Abban, the MP is demanding that an independent investigation should be initiated into the incident.
“We need to attach seriousness to this canoe that work on the river because it’s like nobody’s business. We need them because if you listen to one of the victims the canoe is to load 25 people but they were 40 on board. They loaded pure water too which is already heavy and with 40 people on board. If there are people around who would be checking this thing for them, we could have avoided all these things.
“I call on the authorities that they should take these areas too serious. What they do there produce things for all of us so we need to take care of them, monitor their movement and make sure they are also being taken good care of. Those in charge of this marine issues should take some of the things serious because weekends like this is when we have programs people travel there for funerals and other things,” madam Doyoe stated.
She also bemoaned the inadequate live jackets for travelers by the Volta lake adding that “we have a lot of the canoes if you do the checks, they don’t have the live jackets, some have them but a lot of them are not in good use.”
“You don’t know what the government is doing about it because this live jacket should be available for them. The Minister of Transport should know that all these things are scarce. The canoe, live jackets, all these things should be available in the office. You get your canoe you go to the assembly to register and they give you at least 20 live jackets in your canoe so that anytime you want to carry people you use it. But nobody cares and it is not the best at all,” the MP explained.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Bernice Mensah
