Ex-Ports, Harbours and Railway Minister defends policy to buy coaches ahead of tracks

Ex-Ports, Harbours and Railway Minister, Prof Ameyaw Ekumfi, has defended the procurement of two trains and eight coaches into the country by the Kufuor administration when rail tracks had not been completed.

The rail equipment cost $25 million and are said to be locked up at the Tema Harbour awaiting clearance.

Critics have described the decision as putting the cart before the horse and have expressed fear the coaches might deteriorate even before the tracks are completed.

Transport Minister, Mike Hammer told Joy News the €90 million allocated for the construction of the rail tracks were diverted by the Kufuor administration.

He said government on assumption of office has shown commitment in completing the Accra-Tema stretch of the rail line but the maladministration of the previous government has made it difficult.

He was optimistic the completion of the line will ease congestion at the Central Business District in Accra.

But the former railway minister has dismissed accusations of wrongdoing.

He told Joy News the coaches which were designed and built to suit the country's specification had to take two years to complete, the same time frame needed to complete the rail tracks.

“The coaches took one and half years, probably more for construction. In our planning, as far back as 2006-07, we took into account the fact that it will take so long for the coaches which were being built to our own specification to be done. Clearly from our own time-table we would have finished the Accra-Tema line long before that time.”

“It was good planning that these coaches were ordered almost two and half years ago,” he insisted.

Of the 24km length of the Accra-Tema rail line, Prof. Ameyaw Ekumfi said only one and half kilometer is left to be completed.

That he said could have been completed in the last three months, if government had committed resources to it.

He dismissed allegations that the money for the rail construction had been diverted by the previous government, saying the money was rather for the improvement in water delivery, but his outfit lobbied the then Finance Ministry to release funds for the rail project.

Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline