The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says allowing the railway sector in the country to collapse after independence was one of Ghana’s biggest mistakes and a “strategic error”.
He said due to the importance of railways in shaping the economy, his government is committed to prioritising the sector and continuously revamping it.
The President said this after inspecting the completed Railway Training School at Ketan and the ongoing railway works at the Essiam bypass during his visit to the Western Region.
“We made many mistakes after independence but one of the biggest mistakes we made after independence is letting our railway system go waste. It was a major national strategic error. We inherited a railways system from the British. It was not very developed and was quite limited going from the places where the mineral resources went to the Port, but they provided us with the basis for being able to expand and develop the railway system.”
“We chose not to do that. So our railway system went to waste and today the whole world has understood that railways travel and movement of cargo is the most efficient and environmentally free form of transport in the world. That’s why when I came to office in 2017, I said everything that was possible to be done to revive the railway system in our country, I’m going to do it,“ he said.
President Akufo-Addo praised the Minister for Railways Redevelopment, Joe Ghartey, and his team for their commitment to the railways agenda.
“I’m going to find the money to revive the railway system in Ghana. To do this that, you have to work through human beings and I had no doubt that in my government I had somebody who could do this work for. Fortunately, that person, Joe Ghartey also comes from the Railway Capital of Ghana which is Essikado in Sekondi-Takoradi to lead the revival of the railway system in our country.”
“I can only thank God that he has been able to live up to my expectations. He has negotiated to find money for this and it is going to cost continue and if God willing if we get four more years, we will see the result of his labour,” he added.
The Paramount Chief of Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsia, on whose land the Railway Training School is situated, commended the President and the Railways Minister for the steps taken so far as the rehabilitation works of signals the revamping of a growth pole in Sekondi.
