Akuapem North Member of Parliament, Sammi Awuku, is demanding answers from the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) over its decision to waive a US$1 million penalty imposed on the MV Sankofa despite serious concerns surrounding the vessel’s safety and registration.
In a Facebook post on Monday, August 31, 2026, Mr. Awuku said the vessel was intercepted by the Ghana Navy off the coast of Axim in July 2025 after its Automatic Identification System (AIS) had been switched off.
According to the MP, a subsequent inspection by the GMA uncovered several serious deficiencies, including 14 missing statutory certificates, the absence of oil and garbage record books, and the lack of a sewage holding tank.
He said the findings led the GMA to classify the vessel as unseaworthy.
Mr. Awuku further claimed that São Tomé and Príncipe, the country whose flag the vessel purportedly flew, denied ever registering the vessel.
Following the inspection, the GMA reportedly imposed a US$1 million penalty on the vessel. The Authority, however, later waived the penalty after a subsequent inspection allegedly found no evidence that the MV Sankofa had been trading in Ghana.
The explanation has prompted questions from the MP, who wants to know why the vessel was permitted to enter Tema Fishing Harbour, proceed to Tema Anchorage, and eventually leave Ghana despite the earlier safety and registration concerns.
Mr. Awuku has also questioned the circumstances surrounding the vessel’s departure from Ghana on November 14, 2025, reportedly under Cameroonian registration.
The controversy deepened after the vessel was later detained in Senegal in connection with a drug investigation. According to Mr. Awuku, the vessel was reportedly flying the Ghanaian flag at the time of its detention.
The MP is therefore calling for greater clarity from the GMA on the circumstances surrounding the vessel’s inspection, penalty waiver, movement within Ghanaian waters and eventual departure.
The case has raised broader questions about maritime safety, vessel registration, regulatory enforcement and Ghana’s monitoring of ships operating within its territorial waters.
