A group of senior executives of the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG) has petitioned the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur, to immediately suspend what they describe as “purported and unilateral” executive elections being organised across the four coastal fishing regions.
The petition, dated 15 November 2025 and signed by Vice President of the Association, Nii Adjieteh Quaye, together with three other national and regional leaders, accuses CaFGOAG President Nana Kweigya of acting without consultation and disregarding established leadership structures.
According to the executives, the President has sidelined key leadership members, excluded them from critical decision-making, and pushed ahead with regional elections despite unresolved misunderstandings within the Association.
“For the avoidance of doubt, CaFGOAG is not the personal property or project of any single individual,” the petition stated, stressing that the association was built through collective effort, sacrifice and collaboration from its founding members and executives.
The group claims that attempts to resolve internal disagreements amicably have failed, alleging that the President continues to work only with individuals “who owe personal allegiance to him.”
The disputed elections, already scheduled for various landing beaches across the Volta, Western, Central and Greater Accra regions between 16 November and 2 December, are considered by the petitioners as a breach of internal procedures and a threat to the unity of the Association.
They are, therefore, asking the Minister to intervene urgently by halting the elections, summoning all parties—including the President—for a full hearing, and compelling the President to provide a comprehensive account of all transactions and expenditures of the Association before any restructuring or elections take place.
“We cannot continue to remain silent in the face of actions that undermine the integrity and unity of CaFGOAG,” the executives wrote, urging the Ministry to act in the interest of transparency, peace and the long-term future of the Association.
Copies of the petition have been sent to the Fisheries Commission, Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, NAFAG, the Fisheries Alliance, CHRAJ, the CID of the Ghana Police Service, civil society organisations and various media houses.
