The MISORNU Safety Center headed by DCOP (Rtd), David Eklu, has received with profound sadness and deep concern the tragic news of the boat disaster on the Oti River near Kete Krachi in which 15 people, including 11 children, lost their lives.
This heartbreaking incident according to MISORNU serves as yet another painful reminder of the urgent need for Ghana to develop and practice a proactive, safety-first mindset at all levels of national life.
Preliminary reports indicate that the vessel was overloaded and lacked adequate life jackets, and left the children without adult supervision, underscoring once again how neglect of basic safety measures continues to claim innocent lives on our waterways.
The MISORNU Safety Center extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and the entire Kete Krachi community during this period of grief.
This latest disaster follows a troubling pattern of avoidable maritime accidents that have in recent years cost dozens of lives, many of them children and students.
From the 2016 Yeji-Adidome boat capsizing, to the 2020 Volta Lake tragedy near Dzemeni, and the 2023 Afram Plains accident, the same underlying issues persist — overloading, lack of safety gear, poor supervision, and weak enforcement of regulations.
Despite repeated public education efforts, these tragedies show that safety awareness has not yet become part of our daily culture. As an organization dedicated to building a national culture of prevention and preparedness, MISORNU believes that Ghana must now move from reactive responses to proactive safety leadership.
MISORNU is therefore calling on the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), the Ministry of Transport, and all relevant agencies to make prevention their top priority by First of all conducting a swift, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the Kete Krachi disaster.
Secondly, outlining and enforcing clear preventive measures, including routine inspections, operator licensing, and mandatory life jacket use.
The Ghana Maritime Authority is also being urged to intensify public education and enforcement patrols along the Oti, Volta, and Afram rivers.
Lastly, the GMA should be collaborating with local assemblies and community leaders to establish early-warning and rapid-response systems for river transport.
