Port security agencies working within Ghana’s port enclave have undertaken an intensive exercise that was aimed at assessing the level coordination of the nation’s security apparatus as well as identifying gaps to improve port security.
The interagency security exercise dubbed “dukadaya” was also to satisfy requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) which prescribes responsibilities for relevant stakeholders of the various ports across the globe.
The allied participating security institutions including the GPHA Security, Ghana Navy, the army, the Marine Police, and National Security, engaged in simulation exercises such as stowaway detection and disembarkation, how to nullify Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), narcotic interceptions by the K9 team, and the diffusion of potential insurgencies in the port area.
The Tema Port Security Manager, Col William Kwabiah, explained that such activities are important for his outfit as they seek to identify certain weaknesses inherent in the security structures so as to give room for corrective measures. “We have been able to identify some of the inter-agency gaps we need to bridge so I am very satisfied with the exercise,” he said.
The Chairman of the Port Facility Security Coordinating Committee and Harbour Master for the Tema Port, Capt. Francis Kwesi Micah, said consistency in such exercises would continue to enhance the capabilities of the national security apparatus responsible for the protection of Ghana’s ports.
Read more at Ghana’s Ports and Harbours Authority
