Is not easy to be Akufo- Addo gov’t spokes person this year – Jinapor jab

The Member of Parliament for the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency, John Abdulai Jinapor has taken a swipe at the government following the announcement by the Minister of Railways Development that it is not possible to construct a sky train in the country.

Speaking on TV3 NewDay on Thursday, November, 25, monitored by GhanaPlus.com he said  “….he talks about feasibility studies, the essence of feasibility studies is and the name feasibility means how feasible is that project so before the feasibility studies you were talking about 9month. That’s what they are doing, that is what this NPP government does”.

“He said there is a feasibility studies that says that they can’t do it and yet even before you conduct the feasibility study you are signing an agreement that in 9month this and that will be delivered. It the feasibility that set the basis and tell you whether it is even possible to do it or not. It tells you how confuse this government is and it is not easy to be a spokes person for this government, especially, this year. It’s been terrible for them,” Mr Jinapor said.

Mr Jinapor was reacting to a comment made by the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, Mr Kwasi Kwarteng that the construction of the sky train was dependent on the outcome of the feasibility studies.

There will be no sky train in Ghana –Amewu

The two were contributing to discussions on the comment made by the Minister of Railways Development, Mr John Peter Amewu that it is not possible to construct a sky train in Ghana anytime soon.

“Rail construction takes a lot of time and it is also capital intensive. A kilometre of a railway line is about four to five times the cost of building a concrete infrastructure in terms of building an asphaltic road. So considering the fiscal space that we have in the country, facilities to absorb it is becoming problematic for the government and you know our current debt to GDP which is in excess of 70%.

“The sky train that we are talking about is the one that is going to run on columns in the sky like the ones you see in Dubai but no agreement has been signed” .

“it is not possible to be done now. I don’t see any sky train being done in the next 3 to 4 years. There is not going to be any sky train in the country. It is not possible,” Mr Amewu said.

Accra to get a sky train

The minister made the comment when speaking on Accra base Citi TV about a sky train project announced by the government in 2018.

The project was scheduled to have began in January 2020 and completed some 9months on to ease the traffic situation in Accra.

However, it has since not seen light of day since it announcement until the ministers pronouncement.

According to Mr Amewu, it will not be possible because Ghana is not in the position to finance such a capital intensive project.

Source: GhanaPlus.com