Gbevlo bans ‘bomb’ importer

The government has placed an indefinite ban on Maxam Ghana Limited, the importers of the deadly explosive dismantled under a high voltage Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) transformer at the premises of the Bureau of National Communication in Accra, ‘The Herald’ has learnt from its sources within the National Security establishment.

The National Security Coordinator, Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, insiders have disclosed banned the company from the importation of dynamites into the country until security operatives complete thorough investigations into the company’s activities and how some of its products got under an ECG transformer in front of a strategic national installation at Labone-Accra.

Both the Ministry of Interior and the Ghana Police Service have been instructed to ensure that the ban order is stringently carried out by a company which is supposed to be supply mining companies and road constructions firms, its products to break rocks.

The four dynamites with the following serial numbers: 17083458, 17083462, 17083446 and 170834440 were discovered in the morning of January 14, this year and thus dismantled by a specialized unit of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The dynamites were later traced to Maxam Ghana Limited, whose owners and location The Herald is struggling to unravel Apart from its postal address given as P. O. Box 30228 at the Kotoka International Airport-Accra, the company is not registered at the Registrar General’s Department.

One company cited with the name “Maxam” makes toothpaste in China.

Some members of the Bomb Squad of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) who dismantled the bomb have said that many lives could have been lost and large properties destroyed had the dynamites exploded.

The discovery of the bomb under the high voltage ECG transformer comes in the wake of last December incident in which Michael Omari Wadie, a one-time New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency seat was arrested for trying to burn an ECG transformer.

The combined team of police and military dispatched to rescue officials of the Israeli company, Superlock Technologies Limited (STL) at Dzowulu-Accra, arrested Michael Omari Wadie, trying to set an ECG transformer ablaze.

It is uncertain whether the dynamites and the possible explosion, which would have occurred, has something to do with the numerous mysterious fire outbreaks occurring in majors markets across the country, especially in Accra and Kumasi.

But the 28-year old Sammi Awuku, at the Dome “Let My Vote Count” rally of the NPP, attributed the fire outbreaks to a misfortune which has befallen Ghana, because the will of Ghanaians to have Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP as president, was stolen for John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The same Sammi Awuku, it would be recalled, led some young men and women belonging to the NPP to besiege the premises of the Superlock Technologies Limited (STL) in Accra prior to the announcement of the 2012 elections results, claiming the company was helping the Electoral Commission (EC) rig the elections for then candidate John Mahama.

It was during this attack that Michael Omari Wadie, who is a member of the pro-NPP group, Alliance For Accountable Government (AFAG) was arrested in an attempt to set an ECG transformer ablaze.

Michael Omari Wadie, was later freed by the police officers led by the Director of Operations, Commissioner of Police John Kudalor. A couple of ECG transformers have since blew up at Achimota and Accra New Town.

It will be recalled also that there were some explosions in 1992, when Jerry John Rawlings was declared winner of that year’s elections which the NPP through Nana Akufo-Addo, had described as “stolen verdict” from Prof. Albert Adu-Boahene.