The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCSALW) has urged the public to report suspected illicit arms activities to law enforcement agencies to help clamp down on gun violence and related fatalities.
It said it was concerned about the number of persons who had died this year, particularly police personnel as a result of gun violence and would need public support to rid the system of illicit guns.
“In spite of the Commission’s efforts at curbing proliferation of small arms in the country, challenges still persist. This, however, does not call for despair; we need to stand together to defeat the criminals
“We, therefore, call on the public to join us in the fight against illicit small arms trade, manufacture and trafficking by these criminals. This requires citizen to be vigilant and report any suspected illegal activities,” it said.
A statement signed and issued by Rev. Prof. Paul Manso, Board Chairman of the Commission, in Accra on Monday, expressed worry that 11 police officers had died this year with more than two this month alone.
“As a country, we cannot allow our men and women who do not shy away from their duty to protect us and put their lives in harm’s way to die in this manner. These acts of demented violence should not be entertained,” it said.
While conceding that there were gaps in the current laws for fighting the proliferation of arms, the statement said efforts were being made to review the laws to respond to the emerging security threats and enhance the fight against illicit small arms.
“To this end, we call on all stakeholders, particularly traditional authorities, faith based organisations, the media, the National Peace Council and the general public to support our endeavours to strengthen our gun laws to prevent gun violence deaths and make our society safe to attract the needed investment for development,” it said.
BY TIMES REPORTER
