The queenmother ( middle) in a group picture with the minister and the MP (seated) and other officials after the courtesy call
The queen mother of Nsawam, Nana Awo Yaa Amankwaa I, will lead the demolition of buildings and structures on encroached lands of the Ghana Railways Company especially those close to the railway line in the Nsawam/Adoagyiri Municipality to pave way for the speedy rehabilitation of the Accra-Nsawam rail line.
The queen mother made this known during a courtesy call on her by the Minister of Railways Development, Joe Ghartey, and Member of Parliament for Nsawam/Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, at Nsawam on Wednesday after the two together with top officials of the Ghana Railways Company and Ghana Railways Development Authority had toured the Accra-Nsawam railway line, which is now under reconstruction for railway services to be restored on the busy Accra-Nsawam line.
The queen mother said all those who had encroached on the land are illegal squatters because none of them had officially come to her for any permission to erect those illegal structures.
She said: “Those lands were given to the Ghana Railways Company by my grandfather for railways development at Nsawam and those people occupying the land are illegal squatters so I’m promising you the minister and you, the MP, to lead the demolition exercise to clear the land so that railway services which we have long yearned for could be restored for my people. I will wear my ‘knickers and kickers’ to lead this demolition exercise to show how serious we are to help the government restore railway services to Nsawam and its environs”.
The minister said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government was very much determined to revamp the rail sector and restore railway services throughout the country and that was the reason why the Ministry of Railways Development was put in place to help realise that vision of the Akufo-Addo-led government.
He indicated that the rail transport which is cheaper would ease vehicular traffic in the cities and towns and also increase productivity.
He said currently there are 32 South African engineers in the country to help complete the rehabilitation of the Accra-Nsawam rail line and that the reconstruction would give employment to 720 people most of whom would be employed from Nsawam.
He disclosed that when the rehabilitation is hopefully completed before the end of the year, a new speed train with a speed of 100km/hr would be introduced on the line for the comfort of the people of Nsawam and its environs.
For his part, the Nsawam/Adoagyiri MP, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, expressed his gratitude for the minister’s resolve to restore the Accra-Nsawam rail services by the end of the year, adding that the restoration of the railway services would greatly boost economic activities at Nsawam and its environs.
He said apart from that, the government intends to revive most of the factories at Nsawam to boost economic activities in the town.
According to the MP, the government would be investing GH¢4 million in ASTEC Company at Nsawam to help revive it and give employment to the youth in the town.
From Thomas Fosu Jnr, Nsawam