Maritime security experts have called for more investment to be made towards improved maritime security to protect the country’s territorial waters following rising maritime insecurity threats across the West African sub-region.
Speaking on Eye on Port panel on Strengthening Ghana’s Maritime Security: Lessons in 2019 and Strategies for 2020, the Executive Director, Centre for Maritime Law and Security Africa, Naval Capt. Rtd. Dr. Kamal Deen-Ali called for the creation of a maritime security fund to combat insecurity threats more efficiently.
“We should have a maritime security fund. A fund that we draw in money from the various sources from which we raise money: Port charges, Oil and gas and other services that we provide. So let’s put something together and build a fund and from that fund you can be able to tool and operationalize the navy and the other security agencies,” he suggested.
He said, the government’s yearly budget allocation to the navy alone would not be adequate for the Country’s long term maritime security ambitions and called for a more sustainable source of funding.
“It is not possible to depend on government to look into its budget and be able to yearly support the long term funding and the long term tooling or retooling of the security agencies especially the navy,” he added.
The Commander of the Marine, Port and Railways Unit of the Ghana Police, Chief Superintendent Joseph Antwi-Ababio, also revealed that the operational cost of manning patrol boats are proving to be a major challenge and called for reliable funding sources for maritime security activities.
He said the national integrated maritime strategy that is being drafted, should consider the proposed maritime security fund and its efficient management.