Mr. Asbeit Akpade who worked with the Environmental Department of TOR is a known supporter of the governing National Democratic Congress and touted himself as such was among staff and management of the refinery who were waiting for the president.
President Mahama was at the refinery on Monday, May 9 with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr. Keith Christopher Rowley to assess the company’s performance since it resumed full operations in February this year.
Ahead of the president’s arrival, however, National Security officers who had gone ahead of the presidential convoy arrested the man after realizing that his behaviour was suspicious.
When he was arrested a gun he was trying to conceal was found on him. Another worker at the company who spoke to tv3network.com on condition of anonymity said “before the president arrived yesterday, one of the known NDC guys in the office had been arrested having a gun on him.”
He went on to say “the National Security officers around suspected his behavior and quickly apprehended him and took the gun away from him. Because he was arrested before the president arrived, most of the workers and even some management staff were not aware that such an activity had gone on.”
News of his arrest started trickling in Tuesday morning but after working our sources, it emerged that most workers had no knowledge of what had gone on prior to the president’s arrival.
Our anonymous source said “the action took place around the frontage of the old administration block, precisely around where the Managing Director parks his car.
“He had the gun on him before coming to work that day. Apparently, he has been bringing the gun to work for some time now without the knowledge of his colleagues and the security at the gate. He is currently in the grips of the BNI and that is where we know he is at the moment.”
Attempt on President’s life
Although the intentions of the man are not immediately known he is the second unauthorised person to have been arrested with a gun around President John Mahama.
The first was Charles Antwi who is currently receiving psychiatric treatment for saying that he wanted to kill the president so he will 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 can do whatever it was he had planned.
It took the vigilance of a church member who suspected Charles Antwi’s behavior and alerted the security officers leading to his arrest.
He was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on his first day in court but was later sent for psychiatric analysis and treatment following what the judge suspected was ‘unusual’ about him.
By Martin Asiedu-Dartey
(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)