Ship Manning Agents Accuse Ghana Maritime Authority Officials of Corruption and Career Sabotage

Several ship manning agents at Tema Port have levelled serious accusations against staff members of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), alleging corruption and sabotage that have left many of them without jobs.

The agents claim that key officials at the GMA are deliberately undermining their operations by blocking the renewal of their licenses and interfering with their foreign partnerships.

Speaking to the media at Tema Port, the agents accused certain individuals within the GMA of forming a network to take over job opportunities that belong to licensed agents.

They claim that those who refuse to comply with the demands of these officials face punitive actions, such as the non-renewal of their yearly licenses and even blacklisting from the port.

Additionally, they allege that some officials are writing directly to their foreign partners, urging them to cease collaboration with these agents.

Ship manning agencies are licensed recruitment and placement firms responsible for supplying highly qualified Ghanaian seafarers to international shipping vessels.

Many seafarers, who pay substantial fees to the GMA for training, end up jobless, with the agents claiming that the GMA is more focused on financial gain than on the career prospects of these trained professionals.

The local agencies, meanwhile, play a vital role in helping these seafarers secure employment, earning consultation fees for their efforts.

Among those implicated by the agents are Nana Boakye, Director of Maritime Services at the GMA, and Awudu Enusah, Principal Maritime Administrative Officer. These officials are accused of being at the centre of the alleged corrupt activities.

One agent, Mr. William, whose license has been revoked for the past four years, alleged that Nana Boakye and Awudu Enusah refused to renew his license, diverting his foreign partners to their close associates instead.

Similarly, Frank Amenyo, another agent, accused the same individuals of writing to his foreign partners behind his back, instructing them to halt any business transactions, even though there was no valid reason for the GMA to deny him a license renewal.

Redeem Apetogbor, an agent fined 10,000 GHC in 2023 for what he described as “no wrongdoing,” stated that despite paying for a full-year license, his interim six-month permit has not been renewed. He cited the same GMA officials as responsible for the delay.

Daniel Apertor, another affected agent, expressed frustration over what he described as “daylight mafia-style corruption” within the GMA.

He called on the Minister of Transport to urgently intervene and investigate the matter, as the actions of these individuals are threatening the survival of crew manning agencies in Ghana.

The agents also raised concerns that the GMA is directing jobs away from local agencies to foreign establishments operating in Ghana, severely damaging the reputations of Ghanaian companies with their foreign partners.

These foreign partners, who have built strong working relationships with local agents over the years to employ qualified Ghanaian seafarers are being influenced to sever ties.

The agents accuse the GMA of engaging in career sabotage by undermining their credibility and professional standing with these international organizations.

Furthermore, the agents allege that the GMA officials are using their positions of authority to take over contracts and jobs secured by local agencies.

They claim that, through the GMA’s influence, jobs meant for Ghanaian seafarers are being redirected to organizations that these officials have sway over or to businesses they have secretly established.

This practice, they argue, is a deliberate effort to monopolize the recruitment and placement of seafarers, leaving many legitimate agents jobless and damaging the local maritime industry.

When contacted for a response, both Nana Boakye and Awudu Enusah denied the allegations, dismissing them as false.

The ship manning agents are now appealing for swift government intervention to address what they say is a systemic issue within the GMA for decades hence putting their livelihoods at risk.