Police in the Western Region have arrested 12 illegal miners suspected to have caused damage to sections of the Nsuta-Takoradi rail line at Akyem in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality.
The suspects are expected to be arraigned before the Tarkwa Circuit Court today (Tuesday October 7).
This came to light when the Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, led the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to the location of the destruction yesterday.
The Minister’s visit follows a viral video showing the destruction of the active rail line and its publication by the Daily Graphic yesterday.
He condemned the level of devastation caused by the group of miners who entered the space without permission, dug the rail lines and destroyed a large stretch of the rail lines to satisfy their selfish interests.
Mr Nelson said the railway was critical for the country’s manganese exports and that as the company worked to get itself back on its feet those selfish individuals took undue advantage to cause havoc.
He also expressed regret that residents in the community could condone such an illegality being perpetrated in broad daylight by refusing to report the perpetrators to the state.
“This is a threat not only to national assets but also to our very existence since the environment is constantly being polluted, threat to water supply, forest reserves, water bodies among others,” he said.
The Regional Minister urged the police to step up surveillance to ensure that such illegalities were prevented, saying “from all indications this mining did not happen in a day; it’s been here for weeks or months.”
Mr Nelson called on traditional leaders to take control of their communities and urged the Ghana Railways Authority to increase patrols to prevent further destruction.
“I urge you to survey the lines and see other areas that have been affected,” he said.
Blame
In an interesting twist, some residents have blamed the situation on certain individuals within the Ghana Railways Authority who had told the miners to go ahead and that the new standard gauge line under construction would not pass through the Akyem community.
The Assistant Superintendent of Tracks at the GRC, Sampson Nyame, told the REGSEC that it had become very difficult for them to monitor the rail lines because the only rail car for monitoring had broken down.
However, the youth and community members, who have expressed regret about the incident, have vowed to help reclaim the degraded areas and serve as vanguards of the community against any illegal mining activities.
