Rescued Fishermen beg President Akufo-Addo for Assistance Rescued Fishermen beg President Akufo-Addo for Assistance

Accra, July 9, GNA - Nine Ghanaian fishermen who were rescued by a Chinese tug boat after their canoe capsized at sea are pleading with President Akufo-Addo to support them to re-start life.

They said the potentially fatal incident cost them all their fishing gear including: canoes, nets and outboard motors.

“It costs about GH¢50,000 to acquire one canoe, net and all the necessary accompaniments for fishing and we lost three of these; one can only imagine the ill luck that has befallen us.

“we are pleading with our President and his Government to come to our aid; we do not desire to laze about or be a liability on our society and so help from the Government would really be appreciated, “Patrick Panyin, spokesperson for the rescued fishermen said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on behalf of the group after their rescue.

He, together with Kweku Acquah, Michael Copson, Teiko Tagoe, Kofi Takyi, Daniel Ofoe, Joseph Nartey and Lantei Lamptey, were suddenly jettisoned when bad weather and strong winds capsized their canoes.

Even though their flair for swimming was helpful, it had to take a Chinese attack boat to come to their rescue before they would escape drowning.

Even though they escaped death with their lives in fate’s hands, they lost the three canoes with which they were fishing.

The “Nyonmor da or Nyame Ye Kesie,” along with the “Omanye Aba” and the “Gbaloi Eleven” canoes were utterly smashed in the wild waters along with nets, outboard motors and other fishing gear.

According to Patrick Panyin, each lost canoe and its content potentially costing about GH¢ 50,000, and it would only take help to replace them.

The Chinese who rescued them had Mr. Cheng Chong Chong as their leader and he brought the rescued Ghanaians to the harbour Site Clinic to be given medical attention.

The Asians who are said to be staff of a company working on the Tema Port expansion would later hand them over to Dr. Williams Ansah Otoo, before leading them to the GPHA Security Department, Mr. Sammy Adjetey Senior Security Personnel and other Officers of the Intelligence Unit of GPHA were present.

It was after the head of security, Col. J.M Punamane, received them and thanked the Chinese for the rescue that the distraught fishermen asked the President for assistance to start life all over.

Mr. Panyin also thanked the GPHA Head of Security and his men for their wonderful reception and prayed for God’s blessings for the Chinese rescuers.

GNA

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