The member of Parliament for Asante Akim South Constituency who double as Deputy Minister for Railways Development, Hon. Kwaku Asante Boateng represented the Sector Minister, Hon.John Peter Amewu, and led a team of officials from the Ministry to conducted public sensitization program.
The purpose of the sensitization was to educate the general public on the need to be vigilant and help protect assets of the Ghana Railway Development Authority which are being stolen by unscrupulous individuals.
The Deputy Minister led the team to various locations where some items ( Railway lines and steel Slippers) which were retrieved from thieves have been kept. The locations includes Railway station at Kumasi, Ejisu Police Station,Konongo MTTD, Juaso Police station, Nkawkaw Police station and Anyinam Police station.
At the Juaso Police Station, it was discovered that 3 individuals, namely Yusif Hudu, Ibrahim Yakubu and another Ibrahim Yakubu who stole some of the items have been sentenced to four(4), three(3) and three 3 years imprisonment respectively at the Juaso Circuit Court. Three others, namely Kwadwo Gyamfi, Daniel Appiah and Samuel Baffour are currently facing trail at the Juaso Circuit Court and another person by name Twineboah Micheal was also arrested and granted bail pending trail at the Juaso Circuit Court.
At Anyinam another 3 individuals have been arrested and currently in custody at the Anyinam Police station and awaiting trail.
Speaking to the Media, the Deputy Minister explained that activities of these unscrupulous individuals is a set back to His Excellency Nana Akufo Addo’s efforts to redevelop the collapsed Railway sector and so it’s important for the public to help the police to clamp them down.
“His Excellency the President,Nana Akufo- Addo is spending huge sum of tax payers money to redevelop our Railway Sector and make the sector viable to open up our economy and drive economic growth and development. It’s rather unfortunate that some nation wreckers have decided to disturb this efforts by the President and for their selfish interest they are stealing the Railway lines and other Rail Assets that can be of good use to the ongoing development of the sector” Hon. Kwaku Asante Boateng added.
He further called on the general public especially those living in the areas where the Rail lines Passes and the drivers who are usually engaged to convey the stolen items to point of sales to volunteer information to the Police to help arrest the thieves.
He promised that whoever volunteer such vital information towards arrest of perpetrators would be handsomely rewarded by the ministry.
Adams Yusif Personal Assistant to the Deputy Minister
(0240857941)
By : Joseph Amoateng Jnr