PSC Tema CEO credits foot soldiers with saving equipment

A Ghanaian shipyard sat abandoned for nearly three years, overrun by vegetation and reptiles, before new management stepped in to revive it.

PSC Tema Shipyard's rough shape

• Alhaji Osman Sulemana revealed party foot soldiers blocked unauthorized equipment removal during the shutdown.
• Valuable machinery faced theft risks while operations were frozen.
• Thick bush and reptile infestations made the yard unsafe when the new team arrived.
• Clearing the premises was the first order of business before any repairs kicked off.

Getting the gears turning again

• Sulemana's team assessed which machines could be saved and which were toast.
• Some gear got fixed up, while other critical parts needed full replacement.
• Slipway operations resumed, letting vessels get hauled for maintenance.
• Canteen restoration boosted on-site worker welfare and productivity.

Renovation rundown

• Dock rehabilitation and electrical substation upgrades wrapped up.
• Power reliability improvements were a key piece of the overhaul.
• Compound-wide fixes addressed years of neglect across the facility.
• Leaking roofing in marine workshops still threatens equipment and staff.

Legacy equipment is holding things back

• Most machines date back to the Kwame Nkrumah era with zero modernization since.
• Giraffe crane replacement topped the list of urgent appeals.
• Peter Mensah, the deputy CEO, described pre-takeover conditions as completely unworkable.
• Mensah expressed confidence that sustained investment could transform the yard into a competitive maritime hub.