The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA), Dr Frederick Appoh, has disclosed that the newly acquired trains, purchased under the previous administration, have been subjected to a well-orchestrated campaign of attacks and sabotage.
Dr Appoh revealed that since the current government assumed office, four separate stone-throwing attacks have been officially recorded, perpetrated by unidentified individuals.
The CEO emphasised the severity of one particular incident, stating that the train was brought close to derailment, and a potential mass casualty event involving passengers was narrowly averted due to the driver’s extreme vigilance.
He expressed profound concern, lamenting that the perpetrators sometimes target the train operators directly, throwing not just stones but bricks, aiming to distract or injure the drivers.
Dr Appoh made these significant remarks during an interview on the Frontline programme on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM with host Kwabena Agyapong.
”We have recorded four stone attacks since we took over. If someone had told me that as a CEO, there would be people who would sabotage the railway system by planting stones in the rails and hurling stones at the drivers so they crash, I would not have believed it. But unfortunately, that is exactly what is happening. We have had four stone attacks.
For the first attack, it took the grace of God; otherwise, the driver would have crashed the train, and we would have recorded a disaster.
The person threw a brick, targeting the driver. If the driver had been distracted, he would have crashed with 248 passengers on board. There were children, adults, and young people, and we would not have heard good news.”
Dr Appoh stressed that these unfortunate incidents directly undermine the safety and security of both rail workers and the commuting public.
In response to these threats, he stated that the Authority has immediately reviewed its operational procedures and deployed enhanced security measures in collaboration with the local police.
”The lesson learnt from the attacks is that we needed to review the style of the operation procedure, and with the support from the Tema Harbour Police Station and the Maritime Police, we have adopted a system to prevent these attacks,” he concluded.
By: Rainbowradiooine.com/Ghana
