Residents of two communities in Ada reported the presence of a film of black sludge along their beaches last Tuesday and attributed it to an oil spillage, which is said to have resulted from an oil tanker that caught fire off the coast of Prampram last Monday.

The sludge formation along the beaches of communities along the Lolonyakope and Ayigbo Electoral areas in Ada, temporarily affected fishing activities in those communities.

The Assembly Member for the Lolonyakope Electoral Area, Mr Michael Torgbe, in a telephone interview with the Daily Graphic, said he was notified by some residents and fisherfolk last Tuesday afternoon that they had seen a film of black sludge at the beaches and that it was spreading to other communities in the Ayigbo Electoral Area.           

According to him, he passed on the information to the security agencies, adding that after closely monitoring the situation, the community members left the beaches and returned to their respective homes.

The assembly member said when the residents returned to the shoreline yesterday morning, the thick film of oil had dissipated with the aid of the sea waves.

Impact

Mr Torgbe said the colour of the sea water in the affected area was returning to normal, although the spillage had left in its trail a pungent smell.

“It is too early to tell if there is some impact associated with this spillage on marine life. Our fishermen have resumed fishing and we can only tell after they return from their fishing expeditions,” he said.

Meanwhile, the incident has been reported to the district office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for further investigations.

Mr Torgbe said though the source of the oil spill remained undetermined; some residents had attributed it to a fire incident on the high seas, involving a Togolese registered oil tanker that caught fire off the coast of Prampram, on January 15.

The oil tanker, MV Synagogue, carrying tonnes of oil, caught fire on the high seas but personnel of the Ghana Navy and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority acted timeously to rescue the crew.

Initial reports said the fire on board the MV Synagogue broke out while technicians on the vessel were carrying out repair works. 

Injured persons

One person on board the MV Synagogue, who was said to have sustained life-threatening injuries, was initially sent to the Tema General Hospital and was later transferred to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra for treatment.

Five others, who were also on the vessel, were brought ashore to receive treatment at a health facility in Tema.

Meanwhile, officials of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authorithy (GPHA) have commenced investigations into the cause of the fire.

Capt. Christian Yeboah-Asante, Harbour Master in-charge of the Tema Port, told journalists that the GHPA “will liaise with the relevant agencies to establish the cause of the accident”.

 Meanwhile, the acting Head of the Accra East Region of the EPA, Mrs Irene Opoku, has said the sludge could be marine diesel from a wrecked marine vessel on the high seas, but would not say it was from the MV Synagogue.