Rev Prof Paul Frimpong-Manso
The Board Chairman of the National Commission on Small Arms
and Light Weapons has expressed concern about the number of law enforcement
officers who have lost their lives this year through firearms in the hands of
criminals.
A number of measures Rev Prof Paul Frimpong-Manso stated in
a press release were being laid out to control the situation among which was
the marking of weapons to facilitate the easy tracing of firearms used to
commit crime.
He recalled the grim statistics presented by the Inspector
General of Police during the recent Police Memorial Day activities, when he
said that “nine police personnel had
died in line of duty this year, 2019, alone.”
“Then on the December 3, 2019, barely three days after the
Police Memorial Day,
it was reported that another police officer who was performing his lawful duty,
providing escort in a bullion van, had been gunned down by armed criminals in
Sefwi Asempaneye in the Sefwi Wiawso area of the Western North Region.”
While the commission extends its condolences to the families
of the departed officers and other families who have lost their loved ones
through gun violence this year, the commission acknowledges the fact that this
is a phenomenon that requires urgent government attention.
Some of the measures being unfurled to curb illicit arms
proliferation he said included public education and awareness on the dangers
associated with the illicit gun trade, manufacture and abuse. “We shall also
continue to collaborate with other security agencies to prevent these needless
killings using small arms,” he said.
While the commission’s efforts at curbing proliferation of
small arms in the country continued, challenges still persisted, he said. This,
however, did not call for despair; we need to stand together to defeat the
criminals, he demanded of Ghanaians.
The public, he entreated, should join the commission to
fight against the illicit small arms trade, manufacture and trafficking by
these criminals. This he said required citizens to be vigilant and report any
suspected illegal activities to the law enforcement agencies.
There are gaps in the current laws for fighting the
proliferation of small arms and this reality has informed the ongoing efforts
to review the laws to respond to these emerging security threats of the 21st
century.
He has pleaded with all stakeholders, particularly
traditional authorities, leaders of faith-based organizations, the media, the
National Peace Council and the general public to support their endeavours to
strengthen the gun laws, to prevent gun-violence deaths and make society safe.
