GMA dismisses claims of months-long surveillance system outage

The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has dismissed claims that its vessel surveillance system has been out of operation for months, insisting that it continues to monitor Ghana’s maritime space on a 24-hour basis.Ghana Sports Coverage

The Authority said its maritime surveillance system remains operational and is being used to track vessels within Ghana’s maritime jurisdiction.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 23, the GMA described the claims as “false” and “misleading”, saying they did not reflect the current state of maritime surveillance in the country.

The Authority said it continues to deploy maritime domain awareness tools to monitor activities at sea, including the movement of vessels within Ghana’s maritime domain.

Beyond vessel tracking, the GMA said the system is also critical to monitoring and protecting offshore oil and gas facilities, pipelines and submarine cables.

The GMA consequently rejected suggestions that vessels operating in Ghana’s maritime jurisdiction were not being monitored, stressing that its surveillance operations remain active.

“The GMA uses standard operating procedures to track vessels, verify identity and compliance, and support safety, security, and environmental protection within Ghana’s maritime domain”, the statement said.
The statement follows claims by Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a senior aide to NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, that the system used by the GMA to monitor activities on Ghana’s high seas had allegedly been down for several months.

Speaking in an interview on Joy  News, on Tuesday September 22 Miracles questioned the country’s ability to effectively monitor its maritime jurisdiction if the surveillance system was not functioning.Regional News Feed

However, the GMA said it remained committed to continuous surveillance and the protection of Ghana’s maritime interests.

The Authority has urged the public to disregard the claims and rely on official communications from the GMA for information on the status of its operations.