The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Eastern Regional Communications Bureau has given the Ghana Police Service a 48-hour deadline to arrest its personnel and some leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who are involved in the theft and subsequent sale of abandoned rail tracks in the region.
According to the NDC, certain police officers from the Counter Terrorism Unit are providing protection for some NPP constituency officers and their accomplices who have been hired to take abandoned rail tracks and sell them to Chinese investors.
The NDC stated at a press conference that they have pictures and videos from the Upper West Akim, Asene Manso Akroso, Achiase, Nsawam-Adoagyiri, New Juaben North and South, and Abuakwa North Municipalities, as well as other areas, of how rail tracks are being cut away and loaded onto trucks under the strict protection and supervision of police personnel.
The NDC’s Eastern Regional Communications Officer, Kojo Dankwah, stated that the NDC will ask the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to examine the situation.
“We had information that railway lines were being stolen by NPP members, District Chief Executive Officers, communication officers within constituencies, youth organisers, and constituency officers within constituencies were stealing our railway lines and sharing them amongst themselves.”
“We were selling and profiting from it, so it was critical that we shed light on it. Our investigations revealed that our Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is allegedly behind these thieves, using the proceeds to fund his campaign to pay for delegates to win the November 4 elections. This is in addition to DCEs, MPs, youth organisers, and everyone else who is involved in the stealing.”
“It has become imperative that we have a passionate discussion about this issue, and as a result, we have decided that going forward, we are petitioning the OSP, police, and all relevant agencies to ensure that everyone involved is held accountable and the law is followed. We have given the police 48 hours to apprehend individuals responsible for this illegal behaviour, or else we will issue an ultimatum. We’re going to band together and issue citizen’s arrests, ” he continued