Squatters Threaten To Kill Minister

Some squatters along railway lines in the country, have threatened to kill Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister of Harbours and Railways and some members of his family, if he should dare go ahead with the ministry's intended demolishing of structures which fall within 50 metres of the railway lines.

The squatters, who have pitched their residential accommodation and work places near the rail lines, in their threat, stressed that if the minister should dare touch their structures or any of their buildings they would also touch his life and that of two members of his family and smash him like corned-beef.

"We promise you that if you joke with our structures or building we shall also joke with your life including two of your family, smash you like corned-beef, take it serious," the wording of one of the warning letters went. The threats to the minister's life were contained in three separate letters which were hand delivered to his secretariat recently, as well as phone calls the minister received on his personal cell phone.

The letter, which had no date nor title but was signed by a concerned citizen, further threatened, "your end would soon come for every Ghanaian to see." It accused the minister of playing angel and deceiving himself into thinking that it is he alone who could restructure the railway system in the country and admonished him to direct his attention to Nsawam and Takoradi to repair those lines where the lines are mostly patronized by foodstuffs dealers and where passengers abound.

The concerned citizen asked Professor Ameyaw Akumfi if he was aware of the disaster his action, which he described as ?f*****g', could bring to him and cautioned him, "think twice before it is too late."

According to the letter, some of those who have plotted to eliminate the minister have slowed down their action because of the sympathy they have for him and said "you cannot break out structures and go scot-free."

It also said there were some big people in society perceived to be NPP top guns who also have their structures within the perimeter of the rail lines and they suspect that because of their closeness to authority they would be spared. The letter cautioned that should that happen, the consequences would be dear for Professor Ameyaw Akumfi to bear. They mentioned the Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani and Alhaji Asoma Banda and Osei Kwame Depite of Peace FM fame as some well-placed people in society who have a house and a mosque respectively along railway line that runs through the Airport residential area where they are located as well as the Shangri-La Hotel and others.

"Never on earth, if you need your life, then share everything equal and balance (d) before we will understand, because we are all Ghanaians," the letter further cautioned and said it was because of Mr Mpiani's structure that the earlier proposed demolishing of structures within 100 feet from the rail lines was change to 50 feet."

The second letter, which was dated March 15th, 2005 and signed by one Kodjovi said it was an act of betrayal for the minister and his team to take such a decision against the people who voted for them to come to power, following which Professor Ameyaw Akumfi and his family enjoy free accommodation, fuel and ride in a posh government vehicle, after having been paid with the tax payer's money.