By Ernest Addo
New Crusading GUIDE investigations have amplified the need for the Ghana Police Service and the Military High Command to collaborate in fighting the abuse of toy guns in scaring people, generating notoriety, and possibly crime, particularly in the Ashanti region.
Such the is notoriety that last weekend, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nhyiaeso, Dr Stephen Amoah, was a victim of such prank as he went to his constituency to continue his campaign to return to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) the prized Nhyiaeso constituency seat.
According to credible sources corroborated by known party sources close to this paper, as part of his social development programmes, the MP and deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning visited an Astro Turf site at Atasomano, one of the neighbourhoods in his constituency.
As he walked into perimeters to examine work under construction so far and ensure timely completion, our sources say he was cheered by his usual supportive youth constituents and party activists.
However, during question time as he engaged the youth, one of them, out of the blues, whisked a toy gun and aimed at him, compelling the otherwise decent and measured MP to freak and pull out a live weapon in reaction.
It was cool when it turned out that it was an expensive joke and prank being perpetrated by segment of the youth in the Ashanti Region, particularly Kumasi and its environs.
While the youth have apologized for bringing an otherwise decent and refreshing programme into disrepute, the incident may be compelling the police to act more stringently in restraining the import of toy guns if such pranks manifest in fear and panic, particularly during the critical and forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
New Crusading GUIDE sources who hinted that the police may have had intelligence on the incident said the unfortunate prank may also feed into police strategy development in the lead-up to the December 07, general elections.
At our flashpoints, too, it may be a different story if extremists and armed robbers took advantage of the fragile situation to engage in plain acts of criminality.
Meanwhile, the MP, in an interview later with the media narrated that he had gone to inspect the Astro Turf “I wasn’t the only person, though. A situation such as what happened, when somebody pulled a pistol, and I wish we had a photograph of it.
We’ve all been to different communities before. I’ve schooled in UK, I’ve stayed in Ghana here, I know how some bad ghetto boys behave, even in movies. The guy has a gun like somebody who has been given some form of training.”
Interviewer: And so you saw that that was a pistol, a real pistol?
MP: That was what I saw. It was the next day that they were saying that he was holding a toy gun. But in any case, why did he think that was a toy gun when I know it wasn’t? Why did he pull that thing and point it at me, attempting to take my life.
What came into his mind? I have not insulted them; I have not said anything bad about them. They have never been assaulted in Siaso. I’m doing the second Astro Turf in Siaso. Even the first one wasn’t government. It was bank. I used banks to do that for them.
So why do you want to take my life? Can I have any right to defend my life? I wonder why you would say this same group of people are your constituents. They were with you. You give them money.
Spokesperson of the NPP in the Nhyiaeso Constituency, Jimmy Boakye Ansah, who confirmed the incident, explained the MP had to defend himself after being confronted by the youth.
“The MP was caught unawares. They had a good discussion with him and he gave them some money. The one who pulled the toy gun did it on the blind side of Dr. Amoah,” he explained.
The use of toy guns has become a trend in Kumasi, with many young people firing them for fun.
The Ghana Police Service in a press statement has cautioned the public, particularly the youth, “to desist from this act as it constitutes the offence of offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace contrary to section 207 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) amongst others.”
