Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Dr. Adam Bonaa, has observed the fight against illegal mining has become increasingly difficult due to the proliferation of firearms in the country.

According to him, illegal miners and other criminal groups are heavily armed, making it almost impossible for the security agencies to clamp down on their activities effectively.

Dr. Bonaa’s remarks add to the growing calls for a strong government’s drive to win the war against galamsey.

“Without the weapons, fighting galamsey would have been easier. But once people now have access to weapons, the battle has become extremely complicated,” Dr. Bonaa stated.

Speaking in an interview on Luv FM in Kumasi, Dr. Bonaa further highlighted the wider threat of gun violence in Ghana.

The Commission reports a significant surge in firearm-related violence in recent months, with over 100% increase from January to June 2025.

“The numbers are worrying; from the first quarter to the second quarter, we recorded more than a 100% increase,” he revealed.

Reflecting on his first official visit to the Ashanti Region, Dr. Bonaa noted that Kumasi’s location makes it almost the center of the country and a natural crossroads for both legal and illegal activities.

“If you are coming from the Sahel, you pass through Kumasi; if you are going to the Sahel, you pass through Kumasi. So, both the good and bad people drop here, and that has contributed to the rise in gun violence,” he explained.

He linked the spread of weapons to the country’s difficulty in combating galamsey and armed robbery, citing recent hijacking incidents on the Kumasi trunk road as examples.

Local gunsmiths

Dr. Bonaa pointed to the role of local gunsmiths, noting that most of the weapons seized in the Ashanti Region were locally manufactured.

He said while many of these artisans inherited the skills through generations, there is an urgent need to regulate and retrain them.

“Some of them can assemble sophisticated weapons. You can’t just stop them, but once the law is refined, they must be trained and licensed properly so that we can track who owns what weapon and how it is used,” he suggested.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons hinted at a forthcoming government announcement on decisive measures to tackle gun violence.

“In the next week or two, His Excellency the President or the Interior Minister will make a significant statement on how the country intends to deal with the proliferation of weapons,” he assured.

He emphasized that the passage of a new firearms regulation bill will be critical in tightening gun ownership laws and curbing the menace.

Under the new law, gun owners will be required to obtain proficiency certificates and keep their weapons securely, with sanctions for violations.

“If we can fight gun violence in the Ashanti Region, fighting it across the country will be much easier,” he stressed.

As part of efforts to address the proliferation of firearms in the region and across the country, the Commission is engaging schools and communities on the dangers of illicit weapons.

Dr. Bonaa revealed that his team had already visited schools such as the Martyrs of Uganda in Kumasi, where they sensitized about 1,000 students on the harmful effects of guns and the need to report illegal possession.