The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has officially distanced itself from the controversial vessel MV Sankofa, clarifying that the ship is no longer registered under the Ghanaian flag.
In a detailed response to recent public commentary by the Member of Parliament for Akwapim North, Samuel Awuku, the Authority sought to correct what it termed a persistent trend of misinformation regarding the vessel’s status and recent activities.
According to the GMA, the MV Sankofa, carrying IMO number 7395870, was formally deregistered and deleted from the Ghana Ship Registry on 23 April 2024.
The Authority noted that while the vessel had a long history in domestic waters under various names since 1983, its owners surrendered its Certificate of Ghanaian Registry last year.
This clarification follows a similar deregistration of a separate vessel also named MV Sankofa in 2021, reinforcing the Authority’s protocol that no two vessels can share a name on the national register simultaneously.
The vessel’s recent history has been fraught with legal complications. In July 2025, the Ghana Navy intercepted the ship in territorial waters during supposed sea trials.
Subsequent inspections by the GMA revealed several breaches, including violations of the Marine Pollution Act and evidence of false flagging.
These infractions resulted in statutory fines totaling $79,200 and over GHC184,000. The GMA confirmed that the vessel was only released in November 2025 after a managed payment plan was established and the ship acquired a provisional certificate of registry from Cameroon.
Further international scrutiny arose in March 2026 when Senegalese authorities contacted the GMA to verify the ship’s registration following suspicions of narcotics trafficking.
While the GMA promptly informed the Senegalese government that the vessel had no affiliation with Ghana, a subsequent search by Senegalese officials found no illicit drugs on board.
The ship was confirmed to be operating with electronic documentation from Cameroon, further distancing the vessel from Ghanaian jurisdiction.
The Authority also expressed grave concern over the conduct of Hon Samuel Awuku, accusing the MP of bypassing formal parliamentary oversight in favour of social media engagements.
The GMA alleged that the MP’s public dissemination of restricted diplomatic correspondence between Ghana and Senegal breached standard security protocols and risked damaging bilateral relations. Despite these concerns, the Authority maintained that its regulatory processes remain transparent and in strict compliance with international maritime standards.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana