The Small Arms Commission has called for proper firearms regulation, warning that without it, enforcement becomes nearly impossible as Ghana faces a growing gun crisis.

Speaking on JoyNews AM Show, Adam Bonaa, Executive Secretary of the Commission, said the scale of the threat can no longer be ignored.

“It is a very gloomy picture, I must say. Normally, one would expect me, as part of the executive, to paint things in a brighter light. But I believe that at the stage we have reached, it is better to speak up,” he stressed.

Mr Bonaa linked the problem to years of failure in controlling the influx of illegal weapons. “This stems from our inability to curb the inflow of illicit arms into the country. I must commend the police, who have been doing a great deal despite coming under attack, being shot at, and in some cases being injured or even killed. Given where we are now, we must sit up and take decisive action,” he explained.

He noted that Ghana’s firearms laws, which date back more than 50 years, are obsolete and make enforcement extremely difficult.

He also raised concerns about missing state-owned weapons, citing the recent disappearance of 16 guns from the police Anti-Terrorism Unit, as reported by the Chronicle newspaper.

Mr Bonaa further argued that weak penalties encourage indiscipline among gun owners. "At the moment, when someone registers a weapon and does not renew, what punishment is enforced? The person is caught, sent to court, and simply fined a paltry sum, so people don’t care. I would say that without proper regulation, enforcement becomes impossible,” he lamented.

He warned that illegal mining has worsened the challenge, as galamsey operators are heavily armed, often making it difficult for security agencies to confront them. Many private gun owners, he added, also lack the skills to use their weapons responsibly.

Citing a recent case in the Ashanti Region, he revealed that a pump-action gun used by criminals in a shootout with police was found to have been licensed to an individual in 2020, though the ownership had not been renewed. Authorities are still investigating whether the weapon was stolen or deliberately handed over to the criminals.

On current efforts, he said the Commission is collaborating with security agencies to retrieve illegal weapons while awaiting the passage of the new law. “For me, I will say that we are doing our best to retrieve weapons from people who should not have them. We have drafted a new bill, which is currently before the minister. Muntaka Mubarak is pushing to get it done, and the President also mentioned in the State of the Nation address that Ghana urgently needs proper firearms regulation,” he said.

Mr Bonaa concluded with a stark warning about the urgency of reform. “I must confess that it is a very challenging situation we find ourselves in because the borders are porous; people are bringing weapons. And now they have moved from shotguns and pistols to full automatic, the G series and the M16 or M series weapons. This means we need to act urgently. Until you have proper regulation, where someone caught with an unlicensed firearm is given a mandatory five years with no option of a fine, we will continue to struggle.”