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Retrenched Railway Staff has rendered an apology to the Minister for Railway Development, Joe Ghartey for passing some derogatory remark about his person during the electioneering period.

The group had earlier championed an agenda on media that suggested that the sector minister had taken monies meant for the payment of their severance package resulting from their retrenchment.

Learning of the misinformation and personality damage they had caused the minister, the group, led by their Secretary, Edward Roberts today paid an unofficial visit to the Minister at his residence at Essikado to right their wrongs, and seek his support to have their grievances addressed.


“As a result of plight, where we were living in a state of distress and pain, we allowed ourselves to be misinformed that our expected money from Government had been received alongside support to our existing Railway Workers. After a while, that we were not hearing anything from any quarters on the said money, we resorted to radio station interviews and along the line, made a certain unpalatable statement about you which was later found out to be untrue.”

“In view of this, we render our unqualified apologies to you on behalf of all of us and deeply regret any inconvenience our actions might have caused you as a person and as a Minister.”

Reacting to their call, Mr. Joe Ghartey said though the apology is appropriate, the effect that ‘propaganda’ had on his political fortunes was dire. He shared that a larger portion of the Constituency who are a predominantly retired staff of the company was swayed by the misinformation.

“Of course it affected the course of the elections. Some people saw it as ‘enemy action’, a deliberate action that was promoted by the NDC. Even if it wasn’t by them, and was a coincidence, it was a happy coincidence for them because they could go to the people and persuade them that their monies were with me and I don’t want to pay.

And Railway is a big constituency on my constituency. I tell you. Look at Kojokrom, Ketan, BU…railway workers and pensioners, and their relatives are all over these communities.  You could see clearly that my votes in those communities were affected by this.”