Attempt to retrieve arms has failed - Interior Minister

Accra, Sept. 16, GNA - Government on Tuesday said "Operation Tuo Mu Esum," under which the security agencies sought to retrieve arms and ammunition from unauthorised persons has not been successful.

"Only a few arms and ammunition came up. We have not been terribly successful at it," Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of the Interior said in answer to question from a Journalist at the Meet-The-Press Series in Accra.

He said last week 45 shotguns and some ammunition were intercepted en route to Aflao in the Volta Region and a similar number being conveyed the Northern Region were also seized.

The Minister said government was considering the issue and would soon review the entire procedure of acquiring guns.

He said a special squad is to be constituted to examine the exercise to make it more attractive to persons who have come by arms and ammunition by default to surrender them.

Commenting on the issue of rumours of coups and coups de'tats, Mr Owusu-Agyemang said government found it rather strange that media organisations have taken it upon themselves to announce such events.

"As far as I am concerned, government has not made any official claim that there was reason to believe that there had been or there was a coup in the offing.

"In such a case, it will be the Minister of Information, who will come out with the news and not media houses. I will suggest that the media check their facts with the appropriate authority before coming out."

Commenting on the granting of dual citizenship status, Mr Owusu Agyemang said the government was "hastening cautiously in order not to take in rejects from other countries who may give us problems here."