The Ghana Navy has received a new locally manufactured 20-feet multipurpose and highly adaptable catamaran boat from Mchammah Engineering Company Limited, a Ghanaian electro-mechanical, fabrication and manufacturing business to aid in the amphibious operations of the Navy.
The Ghanaian engineering solutions company was handed over to the Ghana Navy on Wednesday 15 November 2023, at the forecourt of the Naval Headquarters, Burma Camp, Accra and was received by the Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Real Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu.
Receiving the amphibious boat, the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, acknowledged the charitable gesture by the Mchammah Company Limited, stating the act by the Company would enhance the efforts of the Ghana Navy.
“The Ghana Navy has been on a quest to build capacity to be able to manufacture boats locally for a while now, and that the boat would greatly help in adding to its fleet of backwater operations capacities.
According to Vice Admiral Amoama, the gesture symbolizes the immense value of the partnership between the private sector and the military and is an example of how businesses can actively contribute to the safety and security of a nation.
He stated, “This is a reminder that our community, our local businesses, and our armed forces are all interconnected, and together we can overcome any obstacle that may come our way. This interconnectedness and interdependencies were demonstrated during the flooding caused by the Akosombo Dam spillage”.
Ghana’s Defence Chief continued to say that such a boat could help with patrols, search and rescue operations, as well as moving logistics to Forward Operating Bases (FOB), and thus urged the Navy to facilitate engagements with the Ghana Maritime Authority, for such boats to be designed and built for ferrying of goods and passengers, to reduce the spate of canoe accidents on the Volta Lake, under the Command of the navy’s Riverine Command, which is mandated with the safety and security of riverine bodies.
He recounted that some Naval Officers who had pursued a course at the Regional Maritime University, designed a 6-meter boat which was built subsequently, with the help of Team Works Power Boats, after which the Naval Dockyard, which has been re-designated as a Naval Shipyard, also manufactured a landing craft, which would be used in amphibious exercise.
The Chief Executive Officer of Mchammah Engineering Ltd., Mr Ebenezer Kakra Hammah, stated that the construction and delivery of the ship was a component of a larger initiative to offer locally produced solutions to protect Ghana’s interests and marine safety.
Mr Hammah cited the recent humanitarian relief efforts of search and rescue operations by the GAF, following the fallouts of the Akosombo and Kpong Dam’s spillage, as an exemplary display of professionalism, for which reason his company’s commitment to supporting the Ghana Navy would go beyond the donation of the vessel, and lead to more collaboration.
“By utilizing local resources for all the materials used for the construction of the catamaran boat in the entire construction – which lasted four (4) weeks, from design to construction – his company has not only made an effort to stimulate the economy but also showcased the immense talent and capabilities of the indigenous Ghanaian business”, he said.
McHammah Engineering Company Limited, whose motto is “if it is the machine, it is possible”, and possesses the capacity and capability to handle large-scale projects, ensured rigorous trials of the boat for three weeks, to guarantee optimal performance and adherence to the highest safety standards.
