Good intelligence work by the security detail of Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama possibly averted embarrassment of an international nature involving Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Monday.
Ghana’s tv3network.com reported yesterday that a worker at the Tema Oil Refinery was arrested by members of the Bureau of National Investigations for possession of a gun ‘in wait for President Mahama’ ahead of his tour of the refinery with Rowley on Monday.
Mahama was at the refinery with Rowley to assess the company’s performance since it resumed full operation in February this year.
Ahead of Mahama’s arrival, however, national security officers who had gone ahead of the presidential convoy arrested the man after realising his behaviour was suspicious. When he was arrested a gun was found on him.
The man, who worked with the Environmental Department at the refinery, was reportedly among staff and management of the refinery who were waiting for the president. But the national security officers who arrived were suspicious of his behavior and quickly apprehended him and took the gun away from him.
The man was taken away well ahead of the president’s arrival for the tour, so he and Rowley later were not even aware of the earlier activity and the tour went off without any issues. Mahama and Rowley subsequently visited the Elmina Castle and the Atuabo Gas Plants.
The network reported that this was the second time that an unauthorised armed person had been arrested around Mahama.
The first, Charles Antwi, is currently receiving psychiatric treatment for saying that he wanted to kill the president so he would become president of Ghana.
He was arrested at the president’s church, where he had frequented with his gun waiting for the president so he could carry out his plan. A vigilant church member, who became suspicious of Antwi’s behaviour, alerted the security officers, leading to his arrest. He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment but was later sent for psychiatric analysis and treatment following what the judge saw as ‘unusual’ behaviour.
Rowley signed a government-to-government agreement and a natural gas memorandum of understanding (MOU) which would see both countries identifying and developing commercially and viable natural gas projects following talks with Mahama. The PM, who is currently in the final phase of a 12-day overseas assignment which has also taken him to London and the United States, leaves Ghana today.