Transport Minister unhappy with Ghana railway workers

The Minister for Transport, Dzifa Attivor has expressed dissatisfaction about the attitude of some workers of the Ghana Railways towards governments’ effort to revamp the sector.

Speaking to the media during a tour of Baatsona and Achimota Train Stations, Attivor said, “we have all seen that, some people have set up a market just on the rail line. Should there be derailment, everybody will be shouting. We have a Station Master here but they don’t care about what is happening. All the challenges we are having now, part of it is from the attitude of the railway workers.”

She therefore tasked the Station Master, Saviour Zikpi to deal with the situation of the market immediately.

According to her there is an investor on the line now trying to do feasibility studies to come and construct the rail line.

Attivor said, “some houses will have to go and some demolition will have to take place. And no compensation will be paid because it is illegal occupancy. So nobody should expect government to pay compensation to those who will be affected.”

“We cannot allow illegal occupants to prevent us from developing our nation,” she said.

On his part, the Municipal Chief Executive of Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly, Daniel Amartey Mensah said, they have already held several stakeholder meetings with the affected residents and are therefore waiting for the company that has been awarded the contract to demolish, to commence work.

The preservation area from the rail line is 200 metres but access road to the Baatsona Train Station is been blocked by buildings, many of these illegal occupants claim they have documents but their documents are fake, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Railway Development Authority, Alhaji Alidu Sadik said.

Nana Adjoa Owusu, a 29 year old affected resident said her building was marked for demolition but when she contacted the landlady, she was assured that it will not be demolished.

However when the landlady, a 45-year old Hannah Kaa was contacted, she suggested that, government should tax her building instead of demolishing it.

The Baatsona and Achimota Train Stations are currently receiving finishing touches for official commissioning and public use.

By Pascal Kelvin Kudiabor