NDC alarm over guns importation diabolic and mischievous – Kweku Baako

Editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr has condemned the NDC for raising an alarm over the importation of some pump action guns into the country on May 9 at the Tema Habour.

According to him, the alarm raised by the NDC is needless and baseless considering the fact that the party issued permit for arms importation 2 days before leaving office.

He added that even if there was a cause of alarm the NDC did it in a diabolical way.

“(The alarm) was needless and even if it was needed, they did it in a diabolical way driven by mischief, it’s just that it back fired.”

He said the importation of the guns was done following the laid down procedures.

“I’m now feeling sorry and I pray nothing is done to complicate the business of this company which apparently is licensed to do this business and which went through the due process to get the permit. All the processes that were going on at the port were in accordance to due process. It wasn’t intercepted as people put it; it came through the regular channel. The CEPS and the rest were doing their regular think and I have documentation here to show that they adhere to all the requirements of the law,” he stated.

According to him, “nothing had gone amiss but for the politician intervention and the alarm bells that NDC rang was unnecessary and needless. You might have put this company right on the front burner when it is needless”.

Kweku Baako said NDC should take the blame for that because this is not the first time, they have done things like that.

On May 9, a DAF Articulated truck carrying weapons was reportedly detained at the Tema Port.

Photos of the said truck allegedly carrying illegal and unlicensed weapons had been circulating on social media since Thursday.

In a statement the police clarified that their investigations had revealed that the weapons were authorized for private use by licensed persons, adding that rightful port procedures were also followed to clear the weapons.

The NDC however said it was alarmed over government’s decision to permit the recent importation of a large cache of arms into the country at a time when the security situation and issues with political militias, have dominated public discussions.

But during a press conference, the Minster for information accused the NDC of double standard indicating that the former Deputy Interior Minister under the John Mahama-led administration, James Agalga gave approval for a company to import thousands of weapons for private use.