The Interior Ministry, has announced plans to retrieve an estimated 1.2 million illegal weapons in the streets of Ghana, and are being used for criminal activities, including robberies and murders.
Under the directive of President John Dramani Mahama, the Police and the Ghana Small Arms Commission (NACSA), are to take the first step to enhance the management and control of proliferation of weapons by instituting a limited amnesty exercise to all those in possession of these weapons to either have them registered or handed over.
The Ministry in a statement released yesterday, announced a 32-day period of amnesty, starting from August 22 to September 23, 2016.
During this period, people with unregistered weapons are to have them registered, while those whose licenses have expired, are also to have them renewed without fear of being sanctioned by the authorities.
The statement signed by the Interior Minister, Prosper D. K. Bani, reminded the public of section 96 of the Criminal Code 1960, on the possession of illicit weapons, which carries a minimum of 10-years imprisonment.
It warned that government would adopt aggressive measures to uncover the illegal/unlicensed weapons in the country and asked political parties, chiefs, faith-based and religious leaders, community leaders, opinion leaders and the general public to take note and respond accordingly.
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