GHANA NAVY FLEET, GMA CONCLUDE WORK-UP EXERCISE
The Ghana Navy Fleet, in collaboration with the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), has held a closing ceremony to conclude a 10-day work-up exercise onboard the MV Esther Ocloo at Naval Base Sekondi on Friday 4 September 2026.
The exercise assessed the equipment of the vessel, crew readiness and overall operational preparedness, particularly its capacity to support maritime safety, security and oil-spill response operations within the maritime domain of Ghana.
The Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command (FOC WNC), Commodore Stephen Billins Nyam thanked the Ghana Maritime Authority and the ship’s crew for their dedication to the exercise, noting that the work-up exercises were essential to enhancing operational readiness, interoperability and coordination among institutions responsible for maritime safety and security.
Commodore Nyam reiterated the commitment of the Ghana Navy to working closely with the GMA and other relevant stakeholders to maintain a safe, secure and stable maritime environment.
The Flag Officer Fleet (FOF), Naval Captain Bekuin-Wurapa noted that the work-up exercise provided the platform to evaluate the readiness of the ship and its crew and identified areas that required further attention.
In his address, the Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Naval Captain Dr Ali Kamal-Deen (Rtd) observed that the exercise had provided a valuable opportunity to test the preparedness of the crew, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and identify areas for improvement.
Representatives from Tullow Oil and the Petroleum Commission emphasised that a safe and secure maritime environment was critical to sustaining offshore petroleum operations and protecting offshore infrastructure.
The ceremony ended with a tour of the MV Esther Ocloo by dignitaries, followed by demonstrations of the vessel’s firefighting and oil-spill response capabilities.
The MV Esther Ocloo is a multipurpose oil-spill response vessel acquired by the Ghana Maritime Authority and named after renowned Ghanaian entrepreneur Esther Afua Ocloo. The vessel serves as a strategic national asset for oil-spill detection, recovery, surveillance and environmental protection.
Source : Ghana Armed Forces
