Ghana returns Nigeria oil tanker after pirate attack

A hijacked Nigerian oil tanker that was intercepted by the Ghanaian navy is being returned to Nigeria.

A BBC correspondent in Ghana said the ship was hijacked off the Nigerian coast near Lagos last week and captured by the Ghanaian navy after a chase.

He said all the pirates got away and one member of the 29-strong crew, a chef, was found dead, badly beaten.

Pirate attacks have been on the rise in West Africa. Last week, an oil tanker by attacked off Benin.

The International Maritime Bureau says there were some 100 pirate attacks in West Africa last year.

The tanker, the African Prince, belongs to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and was thought to be carrying more than 5,000 tonnes of refined oil.

Nigeria is one of the world's biggest oil producers but has a major problem with oil theft by crime syndicates in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.

Ghana's defence ministry says the ship is being escorted back home by the Nigerian navy.

The rest of the crew - 22 Nigerians and six Pakistanis - have been helping the Ghanaian authorities with their investigations.

Following the recent pirate attacks in the region, Ghana says it is strengthening its maritime security.

The IMB says attacks in West Africa usually take place while ships are at anchor or close to coastal areas, unlike in eastern Africa, where Somali pirates strike ships hundreds of miles out to sea.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8389284.stm

Thank you Big Brother. We really need your support at this very difficult time. We'ld make it up in the future.

I laugh in Twi!

I laugh in kunfu

Maybe it was Ghanaian pirates that hijacked the ship? We might never know.

Beaf:

Maybe it was Ghanaian pirates that hijacked the ship? We might never know.

What a way to say: Thank you

naijaking1:

What a way to say: Thank you

Pardon my manners, that was raw bad bele against Ghana. Not nice.

. . .But

Thanks! Oh valiant Ghanaian navy of the seven seas. . .

Beaf:

Pardon my manners, that was raw bad bele against Ghana. Not nice.

. . .But

But what? You're probably sad that Ghana could easily contain your MEND right? MENDing days are fast coming to an end. Ghana will no longer tolerate Nigeria's mess. . . . They are ruthless and mean business and that may be what we need afterall.

r

What is so special about this.?

@OP
First I think we have to show some gratitude to the Ghanian Navy for a job welldone, however I personally think your "big brother " tag is misplaced. I no wan shout.

@imensah59
Many forumites have commended Ghana for this feat, but I still cant find an explanation for all these "tales by moonlight" you posted. Must every thread about Ghana be reduced to a chest-thumping or Nigeria-bashing exercise?

@imensah89
are you comparing ghana with nigeria or what do you mean by "big brother"

nues aweso:

But what? You're probably sad that Ghana could easily contain your MEND right? MENDing days are fast coming to an end. Ghana will no longer tolerate Nigeria's mess. . . . They are ruthless and mean business and that may be what we need afterall.

Abeg leave MEND jare! Blame our ex-generals (na dem dey import petrol and kerosine). They have employed their highly tactical minds to execute a deafening military victory over the enemies of bunkering. To this end, the following were identified and eliminated, eradicated or disabled:
[list]
[li]Port Harcourt Refinery[/li]
[li]Warri Refinery[/li]
[li]Kaduna Refinery[/li]
[li]Nigerian Navy[/li]
[li]Nigerian Merchant Marine[/li]
[li]Law and order in society[/li]
[/list]

On the capitulation of the above, they proceeded to phase two;
[list]
[li]Booby trap the federal constituition so that nothing makes sense and finding ways to fix same would be like growing vegetables in the Sahara[/li]
[li]Set themselves up as political godfathers, kingmakers and unsophisticated magicians[/li]
[/list]

. . .I don't know why you're talking about ma lovely MEND.

imensah59:

You guys are really funny, you no.?  

You sit as nation for pirates to come and hijack a tanker in your own waters. I  off Lagos Coast.  And your so called million thousand plus trop navy  had no idea how to protect your coasts? If this happened in Ghana, the navy boss would be jobless by this morning.
There's one thing I no. and That's Ghana have systems and  the systems do work,  I'm sorry but that's what you guys don't have and should be worrying about. Any honest Nigerian who have been in Ghana will tell you the system work in Ghana. Do you know Ghana  bought aba 80 Destroyer warships and aba 100 helicopters to add to logistics of the Navy for patrols on the coast 2 years ago?  For your info. we don't even have cults in your schools  who only graduate to be militants and post graduates to be pirates. We don't operate such system like you guys.Its understandable why your students will even kill to gain admissions into Ghana Schools if for notin, they  no when they will be graduating before they even start unlike in nig. where unversitiies closes down due to strikes like its part of the academic year just like 2months ago. its really bad for govrn. officials to be using your population as excuse for their inability to establish systems and make then work as it will only multiply. Forsite is the problem with most afrian nation. Ghana went through energy crises 5 to 6 yrs ago and power had to rationed area by area. it was hell even though it was a planned and prior notices were given in days advance. Ghanaians are not used to having lights turned off like you guys even when its planed. People don;t even no what was power generators until that time, but I guess every house in nig. has  one. for the short term measure the previous govern. bought 3 power generating ships that generated power and supplied to towns and cities from the coasts to the middles of the country. And the 2 main dams whose water low water level caused the problem( biggest man made lake in the world)  now supplied the middle to the top. and it took only six months for things to be back to normal. For the longtime , 3 new dams are being constructed, started by the previous goven. and being finished by the current. 2 new thermal generating plants are at completion and guess what, are being powered by gas bought  from nig. of which nig. has plenty but doesn't no what to do wit it though the west African gas pipeline. Both plants uses both gas and crude, So it will still run when nig. gas finishes. and did I add that just 1 is enough to power the whole of Port harcourt ?.LOL With  the water level very high in the 2 main dams now. Ghana has resume selling power to Togo and Benin, we will not mind  adding nigeria as we have plenty than we can use. or maybe rent the navy's power generating ships to you guys.  
I Love people and have friends who visit me just like I visits  them in Lagos , PH , Benin city, abuja and bayelsa( land of hope) and spent aleast 2 weeks in these places so I no how its like, I do like Abuja. Ghana is now the best resettling country, weekend and tourist destination for most nigerians  And our your bus companies are cashing in by opening terminals in Ghana eg.  Abc, chisco, the young , cross country, even agofori. and others.
The banks are also moving in and so are most international compaines closing their HQ / offices and moving then to Ghana. Eg. HP,unilever, Nestle and even Guinness Nigeria, to list a few.  Guys, Ghana is the next big time, you are all welcome and thanks for driving Ghanaians out for then to come and build their country to what it is now. Why on earth will fuel cost more in Nigeria than in Ghana when we buys crude from nig.? Guys if your leaders fails you, Change then like Ghanaians do. oh I hear our EC boss is helping you guys set that system too.  all the best and aba the light thing, you can still recall our energy minister again to clarify things aba the lectures he gave to your energy bosses, because I really want to enjoy light witout that accumulated noise pollution of generators in the whole area plus its fumes when I come on my working visit next year. Anyone

Ghana also has its problem but hey don't blame me cus you should know by now that Ghanaians don't bad mouth their own country like you guys do. Even your ministers confirms this.  Not bad mouthing your country is the first lession in Ghana Elementary Schools. LOL

A very proud Ghanaian.

ouch.

lol big brother ghana

Ouch

imensah59:

You guys are really funny, you no.?  

You sit as nation for pirates to come and hijack a tanker in your own waters. I  off Lagos Coast.  And your so called million thousand plus trop navy  had no idea how to protect your coasts? If this happened in Ghana, the navy boss would be jobless by this morning.
There's one thing I no. and That's Ghana have systems and  the systems do work,  I'm sorry but that's what you guys don't have and should be worrying about. Any honest Nigerian who have been in Ghana will tell you the system work in Ghana. Do you know Ghana  bought aba 80 Destroyer warships and aba 100 helicopters to add to logistics of the Navy for patrols on the coast 2 years ago?  For your info. we don't even have cults in your schools  who only graduate to be militants and post graduates to be pirates. We don't operate such system like you guys.Its understandable why your students will even kill to gain admissions into Ghana Schools if for notin, they  no when they will be graduating before they even start unlike in nig. where unversitiies closes down due to strikes like its part of the academic year just like 2months ago. its really bad for govrn. officials to be using your population as excuse for their inability to establish systems and make then work as it will only multiply. Forsite is the problem with most afrian nation. Ghana went through energy crises 5 to 6 yrs ago and power had to rationed area by area. it was hell even though it was a planned and prior notices were given in days advance. Ghanaians are not used to having lights turned off like you guys even when its planed. People don;t even no what was power generators until that time, but I guess every house in nig. has  one. for the short term measure the previous govern. bought 3 power generating ships that generated power and supplied to towns and cities from the coasts to the middles of the country. And the 2 main dams whose water low water level caused the problem( biggest man made lake in the world)  now supplied the middle to the top. and it took only six months for things to be back to normal. For the longtime , 3 new dams are being constructed, started by the previous goven. and being finished by the current. 2 new thermal generating plants are at completion and guess what, are being powered by gas bought  from nig. of which nig. has plenty but doesn't no what to do wit it though the west African gas pipeline. Both plants uses both gas and crude, So it will still run when nig. gas finishes. and did I add that just 1 is enough to power the whole of Port harcourt ?.LOL With  the water level very high in the 2 main dams now. Ghana has resume selling power to Togo and Benin, we will not mind  adding nigeria as we have plenty than we can use. or maybe rent the navy's power generating ships to you guys.  
I Love people and have friends who visit me just like I visits  them in Lagos , PH , Benin city, abuja and bayelsa( land of hope) and spent aleast 2 weeks in these places so I no how its like, I do like Abuja. Ghana is now the best resettling country, weekend and tourist destination for most nigerians  And our your bus companies are cashing in by opening terminals in Ghana eg.  Abc, chisco, the young , cross country, even agofori. and others.
The banks are also moving in and so are most international compaines closing their HQ / offices and moving then to Ghana. Eg. HP,unilever, Nestle and even Guinness Nigeria, to list a few.  Guys, Ghana is the next big time, you are all welcome and thanks for driving Ghanaians out for then to come and build their country to what it is now. Why on earth will fuel cost more in Nigeria than in Ghana when we buys crude from nig.? Guys if your leaders fails you, Change then like Ghanaians do. oh I hear our EC boss is helping you guys set that system too.  all the best and aba the light thing, you can still recall our energy minister again to clarify things aba the lectures he gave to your energy bosses, because I really want to enjoy light witout that accumulated noise pollution of generators in the whole area plus its fumes when I come on my working visit next year. Anyone

Ghana also has its problem but hey don't blame me cus you should know by now that Ghanaians don't bad mouth their own country like you guys do. Even your ministers confirms this.  Not bad mouthing your country is the first lession in Ghana Elementary Schools. LOL

A very proud Ghanaian.

Guy,
Well said! You hit the nail on the head.
For those who'll wonder why I suppot him, It's a virtue to acknowledge the truth even when it tastes bitter.

buhahahahahah nigerians are very stupidly funny. that is y i love this website

^ is that u on ur profile or starstruck? tres belle tres belle

Chineke!!! A Ghanaian saying this about Nigeria and you have all not grabbed your key boards, na wah o if its Yoruba vs Igbo or GEJ bashing we would have been on the third or fourth page by now. I have never visited Ghana before but i have transited in their Kotoka international airport four times enroute Monrovia, the place is like any of the sparingly used local airports in Naija. Mr Ghanaian Poster  should give us a link to the news story of when 80 destroyers were bought by Ghana Navy. i guess he meant patrol boats because i know what a destroyer is and to say 80 were bought at a time  that will [probably make Ghana Navy the best equipped in Africa 

@Beaf

Is that all you have to say on this where is your fire brand smooth flowing grammar. Ha o ma se o

In any case i hope one day i will set my eyes on two Ghanaian citizens one Wilfred and Solomon who was a motor boy and driver respectively to one of my late uncles trucks in Benin City he was a Guiness distributor. They were sent to Guiness plant at Ikpoba Hill to load Guiness stout, they colluded and sold the drinks therein and abandoned the truck and fled to Ghana. This happened in 1979 there are crminals everywhere, bross

Uncle Ghana thankyou o But that does not give a ghanian right to come here and insult us o. Make him no make us vex o.

Nigeria, Ghana may clash over stolen ship
Written by Dele Aderibigbe, Lagos Monday, 10 October 2011

There’s a looming diplomatic row between the maritime regulatory authorities of Ghana and Nigeria as a marine tanker vessel, MT Kemepade, declared missing in Nigeria has been found in Ghana, slated for urgent scrapping.

Already, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has reportedly sent a protest letter to the Presidency, through the Federal Ministry of Transport, expressing its displeasure that a tanker vessel which was declared missing in the Lagos anchorage on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 had been found in a ship yard at Tema Habour in Ghana with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number wipped off, contrary to laid down maritime norms.


http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/29414-nigeria-ghana-may-clash-over-stolen-ship


so much for big brother.

imensah i would have ignored you but i decided to take you to the cleaners,even though nigerians sit down and exhibit their lack of patriotism and foolishness of a blog like this that doesnt mean you should come here and display your primitive and sybjective argument that portrays you as very interllectually deficient
one, you dont have 80 aba destroyers and 100 helicopter, i have been coming to ghana since 2007 and havent seen any government parastatals helicopter flying in the air except those that are operated by private entities.the only aircraft that was purchase was two falkers by expresident kufour which the NDC in opposition kicked aagainst,the Ncd in governmnet has made proposals for the purchase of 5 more aircraft which u are buying on loan from brasil,NPP i opposition is crying foul because the proceedure and cost of the aircrafts are fraught with corruption,it doesnt seem as if ur system works,is it the rambo chief that went on rampage with thugs and guns,or is it your bye elections in Atiwa,Chereponi,Akwatia.is it the thousand of cedis that was spent during the transition to the mills/mahama led governmnet,is it the 45 million oil that was purchased from a nigerian and was paid to refinery petroplus that doesnt exist and yet Gbevlo lartey couldnt track those who got the money,even tema oil refinery was caught in the act of corruption,hope you know TOR has been shut down and needs a loan of 46 million dollars to revamp it,
in terms of energy are you aware that all communities in nigeria are under the national grid.go to sisala and other upper east and upper west municipalities,go to part of brong ahafo,go to azim in the western region the road are immotorable
i can take you on and on you say nigerians are building our country?Thats crazy you cant even make your canaries in nsawam work until 331st december movement came to the rescue,you only have 3 bank owned by GHnanian.unibak by duffour,national bank by paa kwesi and data bank by ken ofori attah,this banks are not even visible in most part of the northerm regions.the latest reports shows that ghana ranks third in corruption as per the health sector,you can even manage your NHIS,have you heard the word GREEDY BASTARD.PLAN B MINISTERS and so on.KOKONTE SPEECH in the united nations by your president,i heard the motor way was to be renamed by President mills because he see Obasanjo as corrupt,as a law professor didnt he realise that he would have to go to parliament to do that,the same obj who gave cars to your police when it had little vehicles for its operations,the same obj who gave oil on credit when kuffour came begging.
well am not surprised an average Ghanaian is n ungrateful,envious,uncreative element
nigeria has her own problems but men you are ranked 12 in developed countries in africa why should you compare the giant of africa with a mere dwarf, plssss

PROJECT,

Thank you for standing up for us.  I was a bit troubled not to see any rebuttal even from a nairaland heavyweight like Beaf. imensah59, I consider your comment uncalled for and very uncivil.  Ghana, like Nigeria, is a poor developing country.  Hence, I think that it is very immature for you to go on an "i better pass my neighbor" rant.

Nonetheless, if you want to be told why Ghana still has a long way to go, here you go:

1. "A report by the World Bank called "Quiet Corruption" has revealed that 95 per cent of resources allocated to the health sector in Ghana was diverted into the pockets of individuals.  Ghana is second to Chad in terms of the most corrupt when it comes to managing resources in the health sector in Africa,"

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=220815

2.  "Judicial Corruption in Ghana Not a Perception. It’s Real!"
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=218885

3.  "It is alarming and inconcievable to conjure the number of human capital that Ghana is loses due to fatal traffick accidents. From Januray to August 2011, 1,431 people have died as a result of road accidents. This is an increase from 1,181 deaths registered for the same period in 2010. This is phenomenally painful and shocking."

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=219554

4.  "Ghana still has a weak economy"

http://www.modernghana.com/news/36569/1/ghana-still-has-a-weak-economy.html

5. "Ghana: Why More Than 50 Percent of Children Are Failing Their BECE"

http://allafrica.com/stories/201110101293.html

I am not posting this to tell you why Nigeria is better than Ghana.  I am posting this to let you know that both countries have serious problems that need to be addressed.  Coming here to do your "I better pass my neighbor" rant is very silly.  If at all Ghana is now more developed than Nigeria, is that something to be proud of?  Shouldn't you be aiming higher?  Countries in Southeast Asia like Japan and South Korea were not striving to be the best countries in Asia.  They were striving to be the best in the world.  Their ability to shoot for the stars made them to at least get to the sky.  Ghana should try and do the same.

Maybe the reason we Nigerians don't keep quiet about our government ineficiencies is because we are literate and informed! Ghanians seems to be blind to realities, from what I could read on this thread.