Ken Ofori-Atta’s Enterprise Insurance Yet to Settle $2 Million Premium Claim for Damaged Ghanaian Train

Three months have passed since the unfortunate crash of Ghana’s newly acquired train from Poland, and repairs are still pending due to delays in settling the $2 million insurance claim.

The Minister for Railway Development, John Peter Amewu, initially estimated that the repair process would take two to three weeks after the accident.

Following the arrest of the driver responsible for the collision, it was revealed that the repair costs for the damaged train would amount to $2 million.

Enterprise Insurance, owned by former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and responsible for processing the claims, has been notably silent on the matter, causing a delay in the repair process.

The manufacturers of the train, Pesa, who had purchased insurance from Enterprise covering shipment and testing, have been unsuccessful in obtaining a response regarding the claim for repair costs.

Despite the train being fully insured with a paid premium, delays in funding repairs persist as Enterprise has not engaged with Pesa to discuss the necessary steps.

The nepotism prevalent within the government has been criticized, as state-owned enterprises continue to favor Ofori-Atta’s firm over the struggling State Insurance Company (SIC) for their insurance transactions.

Despite assurances from Minister Amewu that Ghana would not bear the cost of repairs, concerns arise as Enterprise remains unresponsive to the repair claims.

Efforts to engage Enterprise for payment and discussions on repair works have been fruitless, with Pesa desperately seeking a resolution.

The government has yet to take ownership of the train, as full payment to the manufacturers has not been made.

As discussions and negotiations remain stalled, the damaged train, technically sound but awaiting repairs, stands idle in Tema. Meanwhile, the driver of the Hyundai truck involved in the collision has been arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced for his role in causing the accident.

The Ghana Police Service confirmed that the driver negligently left the vehicle unattended on the railway line, resulting in the collision with the train on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line.

Despite the legal actions taken against the driver, the main concern remains the resolution of the insurance claim and the subsequent repair of the damaged train, crucial for the operational efficiency of Ghana’s railway system.