AKOSOMBO FIELD TRIP REPORT

On the 3rd of December 2021, GIFF Diploma Batch 29 was led by Mr. David Nutakor (Lecturer) to a field trip to Akosombo. The two places of visit were the Kpong Landing Station (Fishing Habor) and the Volta Lake Transport Company. The bus took off at 6:50 am at the GIFF premises and also carried some students at specific pick up points along the Tema - Akosombo route.

Firstly, Mr. Nutakor led us to the Kpong Landing Station, where fishes are caught from the water body and sold right under tents along the Landing Station. The fresh water provides livelihoods to the natives of the town and also other people who visits for the purpose of purchasing fish. For some time now, the fresh water is being polluted by water hyacinths (weeds). This weeds are in the water. The weed acts as an obstruction to navigation and also breeds mosquitoes and black flies that causes water borne diseases.

Currently, the fisherfolks have found a meager way of clearing some of the weeds on the water so they can sail to get some fishes. However, this method is insufficient since there are still mass portions of aquatic weeds, which are restricting the native’s use of boats on the water body. One best way of making the lake navigable is by using weed harvesters to clear all the weeds on the water. If this is done, the body can be highly navigated for commercial purposes. The government provided the natives with a Weed Harvester which helped for some time but currently not functioning for years now. In curbing this problem, weed harvesters should be an ever present tool for the clearing of weeds in the water. We then proceeded to Akosombo Port.

At exactly 9:55am, we arrived at Akosombo Port. The prefect together with Mr. Nutakor went to make all necessary security checks. After, we were assigned to a tour guide in the person of Mr. Frank Nyamedi. He led, impacted and also created a friendly environment by which we could learn and ask questions. Below is a report gathered from the tour guide, Mr. Nutakor and answers to questions being asked.

The Volta Lake Transport Company was incorporated in 1970. An inauguration of the port was done on the 13th of November 1987. During the inauguration, a plaque was unveiled by his excellency The Late Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlins, who was then the Head of State and Chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council. The plaque commemorates the inauguration of the Volta Lake Transport System. The plaque serves two purposes; first it signifies a port station and second it appears as a future reference when the port is no more. It will inform that; the place was once a port station.

The now Volta Lake once used to be a forest. The lake was created by damming the Volta River. The lake is an artificial waterway, which is the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area and third largest man-made lake in the world by volume after Lake Kariba. The natives who lived on the land had lost their homes, farmlands and graveyards due to the creation of the lake by damming the Volta River. They were also being separated from nearby towns. This led to the creation of the Volta Lake Transport Company Limited which had the initial aim to ferry aid in the form of foodstuffs, farming tools and medical supplies to the separated natives.

Ever since, the Volta Lake is still being navigated for commercial purposes. VLTC still manages the operational hardware of the lake. VLTC is currently involved in ferrying and the transportation of cargo. The transport is done from the south to the northern parts of the country and vice versa. Other advantages gained from the Volta Lake includes tourism, fishing, generation of electricity, and irrigation for farming.

The main operational activities currently ongoing at the port includes the transportations of dry cargo (cement, food stuffs, cotton, construction materials, livestock, etc.) and wet cargoes such as petroleum products. The dry cargoes are stored on pallets and unitize on the barge by use of forklifts and in some cases by ‘man-power’. The petroleum products is transported via underground pipelines from Tema Oil Refinery for storage in gigantic fuel tanks near the Akosombo Port before being loaded on a barge under gravitational force and then transported to the northern regions of Ghana.

Additionally, there was an ongoing Hotel construction project just about a kilometer away from the bank of the lake. The project poses a potential hindrance to the lake. It will expose the lake to human activities that will gradually introduce silt into the Lake.

The tour guide then led us onboard a dry dock called the floating dock. In the maritime world a workshop is known as a dry/floating dock as said by the tour guide. Dolphins (metal poles) built on the lake served as mooring poles for the barges and also as water gauges to mark the draft of the lake. Some of the stations along the lake that cargoes are transported to and fro are, Buipe and Yeji as the vessels sail and stops over at stationed locations.

We then onboard the MV Volta Queen which had the alpha numeric GMA/AK00006 marked on it. This is to connote that; the vessel has been registered with Ghana Maritime Authority. Without this registration, the vessel isn’t water worthy and can’t sail on our waters. There has been a sunk vessel for the past years and is still in the lake. Such is an obstruction to navigation.

We were also led to the whale house, also known as the wheel house. That is the control room of the vessel. This is where the steering/controlling of the vessel is done. The master that steers/controls the vessel is called the Helmsman. The vessel runs on two engines. There’s also an adjustable magnetic compass in a mirror (magnifying glass) form and positioned at the top, known as the monkey island. It shows the position the helmsman is heading towards. It also tells the north, south, east, and west bearings.

A radar indicator tells the position of the vessels and possible obstructions ahead. According to the helmsman, vessels don’t put on headlights in the night during navigation. This is because, when lights touches the surface of the water it reflects back and instantaneously obstructs the vision of the helmsman. There’s a light to search the water for a while and then it's turned off. During night navigation, they see without lights. The two light indicators during navigation shows the kind of object ahead of you and what need to do. its colored green and red. Green is your starboard (means right) whiles red is your port (left). These lights are on the side of the vessel. Lastly, as accounted for by the helmsman; the crew on the vessel communicates via their mobile phones as there’s no functional radio office.

The trip ended at 1:30 pm, we signed off and all students joined the bus. We drove back to GIFF campus where all students departed at 4:30 pm.

Written by:

Brian Addo Osei & Blessed

Lecturer Name:

Mr David Nutakor