The Ghana Boundary Commission has taken delivery of two surveillance drones to aid the Commission and the Ghana Navy deliver on their mandate to ensure the protection of the country’s maritime boundaries.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Tema harbour, the National Coordinator of the Ghana Boundary Commission, Major General Emmanuel Kotia intimated that, his office will collaborate with relevant institutions to map out Ghana’s maritime boundaries for any future oil exploration ventures.

“There is the need for us to have an instrument or a way by which we will be able to determine whether our maritime boundaries are being interfered with by any other fellow or any country or by any element or groups of people so in order to be able to do this, we need what we call maritime mapping drones to be able to assess while we are in the sea to know whether there is anybody coming or carrying any activity within the territory of Ghana. Because we are responsible for identifying our maritime alarm boundaries.”

“That is our main purpose of the drones and in doing this, the Ghana Boundary Commission is not equipped with ships or any other resources to be able to do this, that is why we are collaborating with the Ghana Navy to be able to enhance this activity,” he added.

Major Kotia added that the delivery of the drones will also enable the Commission to help the extractive industries in their exploration activities.

“Going forward if there are any issues that involve explorations on land boundaries that are closer to international boundaries, definitely, we need to map those areas for the Ghana National Petroleum Cooperation and if there is the need for us to negotiate with a neighbouring country for GNPC to have access to that area, that is something we should be able to do.”