President Akufo-Addo in a group photograph with members of the Arms Commission after the ceremony at the Jubilee House
President Akufo-Addo has expressed grave concern about the seeming lack of control on the manufacturing of guns in the country.
He thinks there is the urgent need to tackle the issue before it gets out of hand.
He expressed the concern when members of the Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons led by its Chairman, Reverend Dr Paul Frimpong Manso, called on him at the presidency on Tuesday.
Members were there to brief him on what they have been doing so far.
That was when the President had cause to express concern about the phenomenon.
He said: “The aspect of the management of small arms is that we don’t seem to pay attention to domestic manufacture of arms.”
According to him, there is the tendency to think that all the arms that come into the country are brought in from neighbouring countries.
He however noted that “our own domestic…manufacturers are not very sophisticated but they exist; they are part of the security architecture of our country” and yet “we don’t seem to have enough focus on them and the measures that we need to take to control their proliferation and their existence…”
He therefore stressed the need for the commission to make it a part of their mandate to enable them exercise some levels of control on those who engage in this industry.
In spite of the challenges they face, the President charged them to continue to give off their best for the nation, with a promise that “whatever central government can do to facilitate your work…we will do our best.”
Chairman of the Commission stressed the need to review the current Arms Control legislation.
To that end, he said “the commission is taking steps in that direction and would in due course present a draft bill on Arms and Ammunition through the Hon. Minister for the Interior to Cabinet for consideration.”
He stated “the bill seeks to close the gaps in Ghana’s Arms and Ammunition control, Mr President,” and therefore asked that when the bill gets to his desk, he should give it the necessary attention.
He pleaded with the President for a suitable office accommodation for the commission so that it would be able to open regional offices in all the regions. Besides, he asked for financial and logistical support for the commission.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent