Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament's Defence and Interior Committee, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, has thrown his support behind the Interior Ministry's new firearm licensing reforms.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM's Midday News on Tuesday, June 23, he described the mandatory mental health assessments, drug screening and firearms training as necessary measures to promote responsible gun ownership and enhance public safety.

However, he has questioned the government's decision to withdraw existing firearm licences as part of the implementation process, arguing that the reforms could be integrated into the annual licence renewal system instead.

• Read also: Interior Minister suspends all active gun licenses in Ghana, orders fresh screening

His comments follow the announcement by Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak that all firearm licence applicants and holders will now be required to undergo mental health evaluations, drug tests and structured firearms training before licences are issued or renewed.

Mr. Amankwa-Manu said the possession of a firearm comes with significant responsibility and that many licensed gun owners are not adequately prepared to handle weapons safely.

"I fully support this directive. Carrying a gun and being issued a licence comes with a responsibility. Most of the time, you realise that people carry guns without knowing the responsibility that comes with the issuance of the licence. People are not trained, but they are issued licences. The mental health checks and even the proper usage of the gun itself are things people need to go through," he said.

According to the Atwima-Kwanwoma MP, anyone seeking to own a firearm should be prepared to meet the costs and requirements associated with training and psychological assessment.

Despite supporting the reforms, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker expressed reservations about what he described as a reactionary approach to implementing the policy.

"Where I disagree with the Minister is the knee-jerk approach to this. If the Adwoa Safo incident had not happened, we wouldn't have come to the realisation that we need to do this," he said.

While endorsing the Interior Ministry's efforts to strengthen oversight of firearm ownership, Mr. Amankwa-Manu urged authorities to adopt a more measured implementation strategy that balances public safety concerns with the rights of law-abiding gun owners.

Mr. Amankwa-Manu argued that the government should use the annual firearm licence renewal process to enforce compliance with the new requirements rather than withdrawing licences across the board.

"I am all in support of the training, but where licences will have to be withdrawn and then you go through training, for me that is where I have a little problem," he said.

"Every year, anyone who bears a gun is supposed to go and register. If you do not register, you are not allowed to bear the gun.

"At the point of registration, you need to prove that you've gone through the training, the mental checks and all that. Without going through those processes, you should not be issued with a renewed licence," he added.