“We are considering absorbing the Western Rail Line under the Big Push programme”, President John Dramani Mahama has announced. He was speaking at the 2026 May Day celebration in Koforidua in response to the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
The President explained that it is a project of interest because the completion of the Western Rail Line will open up the bauxite and manganese concessions and the Western Corridor.
“It will make it easy to transport our cocoa beans from the plantations to the ports.”
The President noted that the government has worked very hard to revive many state-owned enterprises that were previously in a state of collapse, a bold step expected to sustain jobs and further open up the economy.
“I am pleased to inform you that the Tema Oil Refinery is back in operation,” he said.
President Mahama also disclosed that the government has recapitalised the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) and the National Investment Bank (NIB). Tema Shipyard is bouncing back, and many other state-owned enterprises are now running more efficiently.”
He, however, said if workers fail to remain vigilant to prevent abuses that can undermine the gains, all the success chalked so far will go down the drain.
“I urge the TUC and organised labour not to sit back and look on aloof when management and governing boards are mismanaging their enterprises, because when these enterprises collapse, it is the workers that suffer the most,” he stated. “And so when you see things going wrong, don’t sit aloof. Point it out and make sure corrections are done.”
Referring to the theme for this year’s May Day, “Pivoting to Growth, Jobs and Sustainable Livelihoods, Resetting Ghana Beyond Macroeconomic Stability”, the President said it reflects exactly the road map of his administration.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.