for neglecting railways

By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/Radio Maxx/Takoradi

The Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area in the Western Region, Nana Kobina Nketsia the V, has strongly criticized successive governments for continuously paying lip service to resuscitate the ailing rail transport system which is near collapse.

At the 10th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Railway Workers Union in Takoradi, the Paramount Chief suggested that some public officials could be benefitting from the Railway Company’s distress and called for investigations into the owners of road haulage transport companies who he believes could be working against the revival of the rail sector.

Speaking on the theme, “Rail transport, a tool for economic and social development; the Way Forward for the Ghana Railway company Limited,” Nana Kobina Nketsia expressed his disappointment at the failure of Government officials particularly at the Ministry of Transport to attend the conference questioning their commitment to put the once vibrant sector back on track.

Whilst several speakers including the Trade Union Congress’ Secretary General Secretary, Kofi Asamoah asked Government to show more commitment in seeking capital to revamp the sector, Nana Kobina Nketsia V was of the view, that the company’s crisis had gotten to this point because some persons within or outside Government appear to be working against its recovery since they are benefiting from its current state.

“After Nkrumah’s overthrow, we’ve been struggling with what to do with the railways. The crisis has come to such a point that, you sit down and you wonder whether Ghanaians understand and appreciate the role of the rail system within this country. Anybody who understands and knows where the spirit of Ghana comes from will not let the spirit of the Railways die because the Railways is Ghana. In order to get the Railways understand things properly, I think that there must be an investigation of the road transport haulage companies. If you don’t know who the owners are, then forget it, the Railways will never do well” he stated.

“There were rumours after Nkrumah had been overthrown, I don’t want to mention names here, but even today, there are all kinds of rumours about who are investing in the haulage system and are within Government. And if people are in Government and are investing in the non-rail haulage system then they wouldn’t want the railway to do well. As part of the Union’s duties I urge you to go and look into this and lift the veil off the companies, find out who owns them, their connection to Government and whether their role is to make sure the Railway works in the interest of the country or that their haulage systems work in their own parochial selfish interest”.

The Paramount Chief in a very exasperating tone also charged the remaining workers to be more aggressive to put Government on its toes.

“We want to resuscitate the Railways and it is our duty. Politicians give you assurances and yet you never see any appreciable change. Ask yourselves why? Don’t they love Ghana? Why was there a monopoly for the rail system at a point in our history and why was it deliberately removed? Do we need it? Should we put it back”? He quizzed. “Bauxite is dirty, nothing more. It’s being carried on axle load that should not pass on our roads. Manganese and timber it’s the same way. They know the danger on the road. The Board Chairman of the Railway Company said some things last week and he is repeating same now. So if you know the problem and you are doing nothing about it, then you are stupid; I am sorry to say. At a time, your workforce was 14,000 but now you are about 2,000. This number needs to fight to put the Railways back. The word fight means struggle, so you cannot do it by going to see politicians and saying yes sir, no sir. You need to take a militant attitude” he advised.

The Ghana Railway Company currently manages shuttle services from Accra to Nsawam and Accra to Tema routes, and also transports manganese for the Ghana Manganese Company with wagons that have existed for over forty years. The company last year suspended the carting of bauxite due to the deteriorated rail lines from Tarkwa to Nsuta. It struggles to meet its operational cost and is unable to pay workers their paltry salaries on time.

The establishment of a Railway Development Authority by an Act of Parliament in 2008 is yet to make any meaningful impact on the company. According to the General Secretary of the Railway Workers Union, Daniel Esso, the company’s only asset currently is its workforce since its asset were vested in the Development Authority with the enactment of Act 766 of 2008. He said although they were not against this in principle, they believe the decision has deepened their woes.