The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has refuted claims that car tyres were stolen from its ports.

This follows the circulation of a video on social media which captured people stealing from imported cars.

In a press statement issued on Sunday, 13 October 2019, the GPHA Director of Ports, Tema; Sandra Opoku, described the allegations as “unsavoury and false”, explaining that “the alleged act of stealing did not happen at the terminals of Ghana’s ports”.

GPHA said stealing at ports is “condemnable and not tolerated by the authority”. 

“Thus, over time, all efforts have been made to nip such unethical practices in the bud,” GPHA stated.

According to the GPHA, “Investigations have shown that the said activity did not take place in any of its terminals – either at the port of Tema or that of Takoradi”.

Below is the full statement:

Alleged stealing in viral video did not happen in Ghana port

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority has noted with regret some misinformation regarding a video which is making the rounds on social media seeking to portray that port workers in Ghana were stealing and changing tyres from imported cars to Ghana and attributing the act and its perpetrators to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.

GPHA wishes to indicate that such acts are condemnable and not tolerated by the authority. Thus, over time, all efforts have been made to nip such unethical practices in the bud. The authority categorically can state that its investigations have shown that the said activity did not take place in any of its terminals – either at the port of Tema or that of Takoradi.

The landmarks and locations identified in the video are not found in the Golden Jubilee Terminal or the Terminal One operated by GPHA and also not in the private terminal operated by MPS.

Most port workers wear reflectors with an embossment of GPHA or its logo when they are staff of the authority or reflectors embossed with names or logos of other organisations they belong to when operating in the ports.

The video showed that the incident occurred close to a towerlight surrounded with stacked containers. However, almost all the towerlights in GHPA’s terminals are located within the container platforms where vehicle discharge does not take place.

Additionally, the mast light at the port of Tema sits on a well-designed 2.5-meter square concrete plinth with black and yellow-painted coats which is different from the black and yellow designed metallic barriers identified in the video.

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority wishes to call on the general public to treat the accompanying narrative associated with the purported video to Ghana’s Ports as unsavoury and false as the alleged act of stealing did not happen at the terminals of Ghana’s ports.

….SIGNED……

Director of Ports, Tema

Sandra Opoku