Bomb plot: Arrest Okrah – Group

The Ashanti Regional Police command should, as a matter of urgency, arrest Mr Andy Osei Okrah, the deputy Ashanti Regional minister over bombs and other explosives discovered around his residence in Kumasi by personnel of the anti-terrorism unit of the Ashanti regional police command, pressure group, Ghana Must Know Forum has said.

The explosives were detected on Tuesday November 1. It is not clear who planted them within the vicinity of Mr Okrah’s residence.

According to Adehye FM’s reporter Mununkum Owoahene Addai, personnel of the anti-terrorism unit of the Ashanti regional police command are still within the Minister’s house and scouting the area to ensure that all explosives, if any, within his abode are defused.

The discovery of the explosive has compelled the Regional Security Council to hold an emergency meeting.

Moments after the discovery, the Ghana Must Know Forum issued a statement signed by Mr Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, convener, saying: “Barely 35 days to elections, with President Mahama's posture of retaining power at all cost and the deliberate plan of the NDC to use violence and security apparatus to intimidate members of the opposition, we find this exposure very worrying. This confirms the belief of many that President John Dramani Mahama and his NDC have ammunitions stocked in Ashanti Region with the sole intention to trigger violence, threats, and intimidations to subvert the powers of the people.”

“We do not know why hours after this (detection), the deputy minister, in whose residence these explosives were found, is walking about freely as if nothing had happened. Is it because those weapons were kept there in the interest of the President? Is it because President Mahama is aware since the minister is his campaign coordinator in the region? We, therefore, call on the police command and the military command to arrest, detain and investigate the actions of the deputy Ashanti regional minister. His actions smack of terrorism and instigation of war. His actions are treasonable and threaten the peace of the state. Such a person cannot be walking about freely.

“We further call on the Peace Council, political parties, civil society organisations, religious institutions and the national security to condemn this behaviour of the NDC, its ministers, President Mahama and all others who seek to use violence to sustain power.”