Seafarers Set Up Crewing Office At Tema

The first-ever crewing office in Ghana has been inaugurated with a call on the various embassies to fast track the processing of visa applications of seafarers to enable them to get on board on time.

Known as the Ghana International Crewing  (GIC) Limited, it has been brought to Ghana by Oldendorff carriers, a German company which combines its history as a German ship owner with leading dry dock operators.

Mr. Alex Mangortey, chief executive officer of the GIC, who made the appeal said the office was opened to offer job opportunities to seafarers in Ghana in particular and West Africa as a whole.

It is also meant to create an enabling environment for the young, energetic and enthusiastic cadets from the Regional Maritime University (RMU), for their sea training employment after school.  This offer, he said, was not readily available during their time and he had to wait for over two years before getting the chance.

The opening of the office, he added, was to streamline the process of getting  seafarers on board in a well coordinated manner stressing that it was sited in Ghana as result of the confidence the company has in the over 40 Ghanaian seafarers in the company who have also proved their worth  by exhibiting a high sense of responsibility, commitment, and dedication to work.

The Rector of the RMU, Captain Aaron O. Turkson, who chaired the programme appealed to the company and ship owners to support the training of the cadets, citing instances where he had to send some home for non-payment of fees.

This had resulted in the shortage of seafarers, adding, “You must all lend a hand to avert this shortage situation”.

Captain Turkson, thanked the company for the honour done Ghanaians by opening the first crewing office in the country, and assured them of providing quality labour from the RMU.

Mr. Bjoern Klauss, head of Crewing at Oldendorff Carriers, said the company has over 2500 employees from 65 countries with over 300 ships under its management set up some 80 years ago. Oldendorff Carriers, he noted are owners and chatterers of ships as well as receivers and traders whose fleet include self unloaders and reloaders of bulk carriers.