Imported Arms Saga: 'Diabolic' NDC Should Take The Blame - Baako

Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should be blamed for the controversies that is now surrounding the M/S Yadco Ghana company and their importation of arms.

According to him, but for the unnecessary intervention of the politician, there was nothing wrong with the transaction because the company had followed due process.

M/S Yadco Ghana has been caught in the web of politicians after a truckload of arms and ammunition were impounded at the Tema Port.

The NDC says it was alarmed over government’s decision to permit the 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.

However, on Thursday, 16th May, 2019, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah at a news conference at the Ministry of Information said the recently-impounded arms were brought into the country after the erstwhile Mahama administration approved the import just two days before it exited power in 2017 after losing the 7th December, 2016 general elections.

He said the permit given to the company was signed under the Mahama administration.

Reacting to this Kweku Baako said: “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 thing and I have documentation here to show that they adhere to all the requirements of the law.”

“Nothing had gone amiss but for the politician’s intervention and the alarm bells that they rang unnecessarily and needlessly; sometimes it affects their business, their integrity . . . it is unfair and it is the NDC that should take the blame for this . . . this is not the first time they are doing things like this,” he said while speaking on Joy Newsfile programme, Saturday.

However, a former National Organizer of the NDC, Kofi Adams disagrees.

Speaking on the same platform, he said "we only asked the government to show leadership . . . we are not to be blamed."