NDC issued permit for arms importation 2 days before leaving office - Government

Government has said a permit for the importation of some arms into the country for which the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has raised concerns, was signed by the party before it left office in 2017.

Accusing the opposition of double standards, the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said Thursday that 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.

Supporting his claims with the letter authorising the imports, Oppong Nkrumah questioned why the party has turned around to accuse government of a transaction they approved.

He told journalists at a news conference that, they discovered the “permit, pursuant to which this importation has been done, was issued two days to the handing over of power.

“It is only curious, that in this instance, the people who issued this permit are the ones shouting the loudest that something untoward has happened and we think that the people of Ghana must be given this information,” he added.

The opposition NDC in a statement released on Wednesday, 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.

“And as if that is not fearful enough, there are further reports emerging of at least nine more containers full of weapons and apparently owned by the same person, being cleared at the port,” the statement said.

The NDC’s call came in the wake of inspection of some weapons by the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority at the Tema Port. Read Full Story