PRESIDENT AKUFO-Addo has warned persons who are engaged in stealing railway tracks and other properties belonging to the Ghana Railway Company to desist from the act or be made to face the law.
He said the acts of these miscreants are thwarting government’s efforts in revamping the railway sector in the country.
“Apart from illegal mining which is having negative impact on the development of right of way leading to high cost of construction, some unpatriotic saboteurs in our communities have chosen to steal components of the rail way system, including the tracks.
“I want to sound a strong word of warning to those perpetrating these acts that the law will take its course when they are arrested, and the appropriate sanctions will be meted out to them,” the President noted.
The President gave the warning when he cut sod to mark the commencement of the Manso to Huni Valley part of the Western Rail Line yesterday.
The Manso to Huni Valley line is approximately 78 kilometres, and the contract price is €500,000,000.00.
The project will be executed by Amandi Investment Limited with funds from a Deustche Bank Credit Facility secured by the Government of Ghana, and would be completed within 42 months.
The Manso-Huni Valley line would be on a standard gauge, and it forms part of the development and reconstruction of the entire Western Railway Line.
The Western Line, which starts from Sekondi-Takoradi to Kumasi, was constructed in 1903 and is the major route for the transportation of minerals and other bulk commodities such as cocoa, bauxite, manganese, cement, flour and petroleum products.
The President said one of the great tragedies of the country’s post-colonial era was allowing the railway infrastructure bequeathed to the country by the colonial masters to deteriorate completely.
The President said upon assumption of office in 2017, he was determined to change the statistics because he believed that the presence of efficient railway system was critical to the country’s progress.
“Today’s sod cutting is a clear manifestation of the Akufo-Addo’s government’s policy of developing the country’s railway system,” he added.
He noted that in recent times, the railway sector has received considerable investment.
He stressed that the government was committed to providing the necessary support to expand and modernise the railway infrastructure to help improve economic activities.
He indicated that the development of the Western Rail Line was on course, and that the 22 kilometre section of the line from Kojokrom to Manso was progressing steadily and was scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
“I am here today to officially cut the sod for the continuation of the Manso to Huni Valley line, which included the conversion of narrow gauge lines into standard ones,” he explained.
The Minister for Railway Development, Peter Amewu, said the Western Railway Line has a very huge potential in terms of the haulage of both liquid and bulk cargo.
“For instance, the projected annual volume of bauxite from the Awaso mine is about 5 million metric tonnes.
“An additional 5 million metric tonnes of bauxite is estimated to be mined and transported annually from the bauxite deposit at Nyinahin,” he pointed out.
He said with regards to manganese traffic from the Nsuta mines, the projected annual volume to be hauled to the Takoradi Port for export is about 4 million metric tonnes.
He also mentioned that the development of the Western Line forms part of the first phase of the Railway Master Plan, and is critical to the success of the Integrated Aluminum Industry that is being promoted by government.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, was hopeful that the project will create jobs and urged the contractor to employ the local people with the requisite skills.
FROM Emmanuel Opoku, Manso