The Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammy Awuku, is calling for an investigation into the decision to waive a $1 million penalty imposed on the MV Sankofa after the vessel was intercepted in Ghanaian waters over alleged safety and registration breaches.
Sammy Awuku wants the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) to explain the legal basis for the waiver and why the vessel was eventually allowed to leave the country.
In a Facebook post on Monday, August 31, 2026, the MP said the Ghana Navy intercepted the vessel off Axim on July 22, 2025, while its Automatic Identification System (AIS) was switched off.
He said a GMA inspection conducted days later found that the vessel was without 14 statutory certificates and also lacked key records and facilities, including oil and garbage record books and a sewage holding tank.
Sammy Awuku further claimed that São Tomé and Príncipe, whose flag the vessel was reportedly flying, denied that the ship was registered in the country.
He said the GMA subsequently determined that the vessel was not seaworthy.
Although the GMA initially imposed a $1 million penalty, the amount was later waived after another inspection reportedly found no evidence that the vessel had been trading in Ghana.
However, Sammy Awuku argues that the issue goes beyond whether the vessel was trading. He is demanding documents explaining how the MV Sankofa entered Tema Fishing Harbour, moved to Tema Anchorage and operated within Ghanaian waters before being cleared to leave.
He also questioned the use of the “innocent passage” principle to justify the vessel’s movements.
According to the MP, the vessel left Ghana on November 14, 2025, reportedly under Cameroonian registration, and was later detained in Senegal in connection with a drug investigation.
Sammy Awuku has also raised questions about pollution-related penalties, citing a $60,000 discrepancy between figures in a GMA inspection report and a later RTI response.
He said he will petition the Transport Minister, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, and the GMA Governing Board for documents on the waiver, penalties and clearance of the vessel.
He also plans to raise the matter with the International Maritime Organization, citing concerns over maritime safety, pollution control and vessel registration.
