Perhaps you have had enough of the StoneShata fracas, the media attention and how the story is trending can put many off but not some of us, the speed to move to the next issue is the reason why many issues don’t get to the root. However, with this particular matter, we must digest it until atleast most questions on the minds of people are answered.
To the issue…
I’ve seen many people refer to the Subsection 1 of Section 7 of the Arms and Amunition Act as their justification for accusing Stonebwoy of doing something wrong and I’m at a lost as to how they can arrive at that conclusion
Let’s break it down
No person, except in accordance with terms of a permit (pause)
Meaning: the terms of permit can permit some people to…
….or with written consent of IGP
Meaning: people can obtain the consent of the IGP to…
….publicly display arm or amunition or discharge weapons (shoot) in public.
This law simply means that there are terms of granting permission to use guns in Ghana and that the type of permit determines who is allowed and who isn’t.
Let’s get logical here
Stonebwoy, Shata, Sarkodie and for that matter any other celebrity in Ghana who obtains a permission to own a gun will definitely or logically seek the right to use it when need be in public. By their trade, most of theirthreats are likely to come at public events and so I do not think the State’s security will deny them the right to protect themselves at places where they are most likely to come under threat. Another thing is that the law does not talk about possession of gun at public events, it only talks about display and discharge.
What does it mean to display a gun in this regard? Is it just about being seen with a gun or threatening people with the gun or even showing off?
Now, let’s replay the incident at Conference Centre. First of all, I haven’t said Shata went to attack Stonebwoy, I only think it was poorly carried out and very unnecessary. He had no business there and the insistence of his people to get to the stage should give anyone on that stage, especially if you are Stonebwoy the impression that they are coming for you.
But how did Stonebwoy respond to this. I have watched several videos on the incident from different angles and this what I saw
I don’t know Stonebwoy’s account at the police station, this opinion might contradict his account but watching the video critically, I don’t really see a crime committed, not even an offense.
The only thing I want establish is that if the gun is a registered one or not. If it’s not, the one who iwns it should be dealt with unless it.
Let’s get to the videos
Stonebwoy has just been declared Dancehall Artist of the year, that was his moment, his stage, he was the focus of most camera lenses around.
He gets on to the stage to pick his award and sees a mob moving towards the stage in an offensive manner, the police man around takes out his gun, Stonebwoy goes to one of his boys, most likely his security. The guy takes out the gun from what looks like his pocket, gives it to Stonebwoy.
Now, this is where we have to look at what happened dispassionately.
The guy who gives the gun to Stonebwoy moves way to Stonebwoy, most likely to where the action is taking, Stonebwoy who has the gun moves away from the action to the very opposite side. Through it all, he keeps the gun at his waist level and pointing downwards. In fact, there was a conscious effort to conceal it. He points it at no one, and moves away from the very people he felt were about to attack him.
Could it be that the guy who had the gun didn’t want to join the brawl with the gun on him? Because ordinarily, when you are protecting people with a gun, you shield and hold the gun. But this guy leaves Stonebwoy and joins the action without the gun. Why’d the guy with the gun moves away from the action?
It simply means his intention is to not get involved.
I’ve seen people abuse the word BRANDISH on several occasions. It is an erroneous description of what happened, Stonebwoy didn’t brandish a gun, the only one who did that was the police man on the stage and he had the right to do that.
Brandish means is to wave or consciously display something with the intent that people should see it, the fact that someone sees you with a gun does not mean you have brandished the gun.
He pointed it at no one, he threatened no one with it and didn’t do anything with the intent of letting people see the gun.
Shata and his boys didn’t see this gun because that wasn’t the goal. 99% of people at the Conference Center saw it on social media and other platforms.
That said, people should know this, most top artist go to events with a gun, they cannot afford to put all their trust in the state’s security.
Did you see how the policeman on the stage stuggled to pull the gun from his own pocket?
Unless Stonebwoy had other intentions, what we see in the video isn’t an example of a man with a gun wanting the blood of other.
Using sensational words to describe the incident won’t help matters.
Isaac Kyei Andoh