Security expert Prof Kwesi Aning says a lot more effort must be put into controlling the easy access to firearms by individuals in the country.

He lamented the poor tracking of people with unregistered guns which remains an issue.

Speaking on Joy News’ Newsfile show on Saturday, he said there must be people in place who check for gun licences, whether they have been renewed and where they are.

“There are loads of guns that are unregistered precisely because less than 10 – 15 percent of guns that were registered initially come back for the annual registration.  That leaves a big gap in the capacity."

"There is a problem with the availability of small arms, how it registered, who has them, levels of concentration and the types of crimes they are used for," he told host, Samson Lardy Ayenini.

Prof Kwesi Aning said the ability to stop this has been somewhat absent because the Small Arms Commission has changed from a being a regulatory body to playing an advisory role.

“The 850% increase in the availability of gun is relative to the exiting number. There seems to be a certain romanticisation around getting firearms and then using them. We are at a major risk, “ he said.

His comments follow an attack by highway robbers which led to the shooting to death of the Mfantseman MP Ekow Quansah Hayford.

The development has received wide condemnation with calls on the security agencies to get to the bottom of the matter and get the culprits to face the law.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh has placed a ¢20,000 bounty on the killers who are still at large.