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Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and James Agalga

The
National Democratic Congress (NDC) has resorted to a game of words to save its crestfallen
face after a humiliating exposure about how it authorised the import of a large
cache of arms on the heels of the 2016 elections.

Leading
the charge in a bizarre twist is the man whose signature appears on the said correspondence.

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The
authorisation was given just two days before President Akufo-Addo took over
from the defeated John Mahama.

James
Agalga, NDC MP for Builsa North, who admitted giving authorisation for the
import, however, added that the NPP gave the final okay for the weapons to be
brought into the country and should therefore be responsible for the action.

He told Starr FM yesterday that
the NPP government’s focus on the letter requesting permit instead of the time the
authorisation was given is ‘disingenuous.’

Per his argument, the situation
in the country when the elections were around the corner informed his decision
to authorise the import. “The situation in January 2017 was not the same as it
is right now; there were some security circumstances that we were confronted
with,” he said.

Therefore what the NDC statement
simply seeks to do is to say that in view of the changed security situation in
the country, there should be circumspection in the issuance of arms importation
permit.

He added: “So if you go back and
bring the letter that we supposedly signed in 2017 to make the case that we’re
even the ones responsible for the importation without bringing to the fore when
the import permit itself was issued is disingenuous.”

NDC Propaganda

It
all comes after their sustained brouhaha about a so-called insecurity in the
country and blaming their self-created situation on a government.

When
it eventually turned out that they authorised the import of 4,000 pieces of
hunting guns close to the 2016 elections they were cornered, with James Agalga
concocting varying tunes.

Not
even the transition team formed to ensure a smooth handover of power from the
exiting NDC to the victorious New Patriotic Party (NPP) was informed about the
authorisation. Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the development took
place on the blind side of the transition team.

The
NDC, in a recent haranguing about the import of firearms into the country,
berated the NPP at a time when the country was grappling with the spate of
insecurity.

Original Letter

A
correspondence dated 5th January 2017, which authorised the import
of the said consignment of firearms that caused uproar at the Tema Port last
week, was signed by the then Deputy Minister of the Interior James Agalga on
behalf of the minister.

Interestingly,
it was the same Agalga, NDC MP for Builsa North, who led the attacks on the NPP
administration when the weapons hit the Tema Port, and the latest revelation
has punctured the so-called campaign being waged by the opposition party.

Weapons’ Importer

According
to the Agalga signed correspondence, permission was granted a certain importer
M/S Yadco Ghana Limited to bring into the country explosives and accessories
for use as captured in the authorisation in the mining and quarry sectors.

Twenty thousand cases of 500 pieces of shotgun cartridges, 4,000
pieces of hunting shotguns and 500 boxes of percussion caps were given
clearance to be brought into the country.

“The
purpose of this note is to request you to issue the company with the import
permit. Permit not transferrable and does not require ECOWAS authorisation,”
read an aspect of the authorisation.

Gov’t Reply

Speaking to the issue, Mr. Oppong
Nkrumah said the NDC rather issued permit for the importation of the arms
before leaving office in January 2017 under the seal of the then deputy
minister for the Interior James Agalga on 5thJanuary 2017.

“It’s curious that after the
election of 2016, two days to the handover on the 5th of January at a time of
the transition, this permit was issued on the blind side of everyone.”

No Fears

The Information Minister
explained that upon the arrival of the consignment, the necessary procedures
were followed and the items delivered at a designated location, adding that
there is no cause for alarm.

“The state security agencies are
ensuring that the consignment does not get into the hands of unauthorised
persons,” he added.

Arms Importation

It’s dangerous a trend when
weapons imported into the country are not properly tracked and their final
destinations not known to the security agents.

It’s for this reason that a
time-tested elaborate tracking system of guns, which are imported legally into
the country, has been in place since the colonial era.

First Step

The importer seeks permission to
import arms from the Interior Ministry, and when the firearms arrive, they are
deposited into the importers’ warehouse under the police escort.

Dealers &
Form D

Importers are distinct from
dealers. The latter can purchase firearms from the importer but this is
preceded by the issuance of a Form D.

This represents an authorisation
to withdraw firearms from the warehouse.

A wireless is sent to the
appropriate officer such as the Regional Police Commander if the weapons are
destined for inter-regional movement.

The preceding wireless would have
to inform the Regional Police Command about the details of firearms proceeding
to their jurisdiction.

Private
Magazine

The police escort upon arrival
with the consignment will report to the Arms and Ammunition Officer, whose duty
is to ensure that the stock are deposited in the private magazine of the dealer
both persons taking inventory of the received stuff and the magazine secured
with three padlocks.

The dealer keeps two keys and the
police one, and the understanding is that there would be no access to the
magazine without police presence.

Firearms Buying
Procedure

A prospective buyer is referred
to the police for vetting and when he or she meets the requirements for
possessing arms they are issued with Form A2, which represents police authorisation
presented to the dealer for the purchase of the weapon of their choice.

Opening Of The
Magazine

With the police authorisation
acquired, the dealer then invites the police so both parties can open the
magazine after which the police will take over the weapon and register it in
the name of the buyer.

With the identity of the firearm
and the owner duly registered both can be traced by the police when the need
arises.

Orientation

The next and final stage is for
the police to take the owner of the weapon through lessons in its use and the
responsibilities thereof. The weapon and the permit are then handed over to the
owner to end the process.

Illegal Weapons

Ghana, like other countries in
the West African sub-region, is saddled with the proliferation of small arms, a
source of criminal activities fueling armed robberies and ethnic conflicts.

The Commission on Small Arms, a state agency under the Interior Ministry, is tasked to control the reckless proliferation, which is a rather challenging task requiring the co-operation of all citizens.

By A.R. Gomda

The post NDC Takes Cover After Guns Exposé appeared first on DailyGuide Network.

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