Coup plotters meant serious business, stop trivialising it on social media - Government

The Deputy Minister of Information, Mr. Pius Enam Hadzide, has cautioned the general public to desist from mocking the recently announced coup attempt by certain persons in the country. According to him, those who have been arrested meant serious business, and that Ghanaians should stop trivialising the issue.

The Deputy Minister was reacting to the way and manner the coup plot was being trivialised on social media since his Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, broke the news to Ghanaians.

The Minister of Information had told Ghanaians on Monday this week that an investigation by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service revealed that Dr. Frederick Yao Mac-Palm and his two accomplices, Mr. Ezor Kafui, a local weapons manufacturer, and Mr. Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu, had evil intentions to destabilise the country.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the security agencies, after 15 months of monitoring, detected a sinister plot by the suspects and their collaborators in the army who are being investigated.

Since Mr Oppong Nkrumah’s announcement, thousands of Ghanaians have taken to social media to mock the government, saying the weapons that were displayed to the public cannot be used to overthrow a government.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, Mr. Hadzide gave instances where some state officials and former presidents from different countries, like Prime Minister Ghandhi of India, John Kennedy of USA among others were shot with a single bullet fired by one person.

According to Mr. Hadzide, when the security team got to the Citadel Hospital at Alajo, a suburb of Accra, they cordoned off a particular place where weapons were being manufactured.

A reporter asked Mr. Hadzide why the security men cordoned off a particular area inside the hospital instead of the whole facility, the Deputy Information Minister explained that the security experts knew what they were doing, and that they were on top of issues.

He also said the work of his outfit was to communicate issues about the government to the public. “It is within the powers of the Ministry of Information to proclaim this information, and that is exactly what we are doing,” he said, adding, “The security agencies are on top of their jobs.”