• VIDEOS
  • About
  • Contact
  • Despite Media
Ghana Election 2020
  • Home
  • Election 2020 Results
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • VIDEOS
  • Media
    • Videos
    • Audio
    • Photos
Local News
 
 
 
Home News Social 202010

December Polls: Small Arms Commission Calls For Security Alertness At 'Hotspots'

23-Oct-2020
/ Social, News
Email
Print
Comments 0
library image
(0)
Comments
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
 

The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) has called for increase security alertness in places identified as political 'hotspots' areas ahead of the December 7 polls.

The call followed a statement issued by the Ghana Police Service, which identified 4,098 hotspots areas in the country.

Speaking in Accra during the launch of an anti-electoral violence campaign dubbed: “Ballots without Bullets” in Accra, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr Jones Borteye Applerh, said the proliferation of firearms in the country called for urgent action, especially in the Ashanti Region.

The Region, he said, topped the list of violent-prone areas with 635 flashpoints on the Police Service statement.

“I think we should do more, in as much as several security agencies are undertaking exercises in response to any violence because what we see in the media space gives us indications that people have weapons," he noted.

Mr. Applerh also advised the public to actively engage in reporting threats of violence, before, during, and after the elections to maintain peace and order in the country.

“What the declaration means is that, if these areas are not put under critical observation, something might happen. So the essence of this campaign is to teach Ghanaians not to be quiet, irrespective of their political affiliations.

“We are Ghanaians first before our political persuasions come in, but that shouldn’t divide us because elections are just meant to selecting leaders,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Commission said there were about 2.3 million small arms in civilian hands, according to a survey conducted by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in 2014.

It said out of the figure, 1.1 million remained unregistered, with 1.2 million registered with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.

Mr Gyebi Asante, a Deputy Director of the Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the number of firearms in circulation could be more after six years of the baseline study.

Mr Asante said unregistered firearms in circulation posed danger to the country's peace and security, saying: "The fight against illicit small arms and gun violence is likely to elude us until we focus on ammunition control and management as a country.”

"Any arm or firearm, no matter how sophisticated, without cartridges or ammunition is silent and can be silenced forever."

Mr Asante said police records showed that even with the registered small arms, less than 100,000 licenses of the 1.2 million registered were renewed annually.

In view of that, he said, the CID had digitised the registration of civilian firearms and devising a system that would enable the police to track licensed gun owners who did not renew their licenses.

He said the digitisation would also facilitate the easy renewal of licenses online without gun owners necessarily trekking to the district police stations for renewal.

That, he said, would enable the police to keep a proper database of all licensed gun owners in the country and track missing registered firearms.

Mr Asante said though only GH¢10.00 was needed to renew a license for shotgun, most licensed gun owners failed to renew them and advised owners to consistently go for renewal since it saved them a lot of problems.

“The refusal to renew one's license could land one in jail, a consequence that is not worth anybody's negligence or forgetfulness,” he said.

Mr Asante said owning a firearm was a big responsibility while possessing an unregistered small arm was a huge risk that should not be taken for granted.

The Director-General for Special Duties at the Police Service, COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, indicated that the Service’s intention to achieve another gun violence-free general election was on course but called for support from all.

He, therefore, urged all weapon owners to register their arms and renew their licenses not to fall short of the law.

“There was no single gunshot during the period of elections in the previous elections and I assure that we are going to use all the strategies we used during the elections period and also add more strategies to make sure that there will be ballots without bullets.

"We have been organizing a series of intelligence operations and also making sure that persons in possession of illicit weapons will renew their licenses and failure to do so, renders their usage illegal," he stated.

COP Tetteh Yohuno stated that it was illegal for persons with registered weapons to take them to public places.

According to him, that made its usage illegal.

“So there will be education to ensure that people who have such weapons will register and also renew their licenses.

"It is also wrong for persons to also transfer or give the registered weapons to other persons to use. We will also enforce the law on how weapons have to be used and to make sure those who have legally registered their weapons do not take them to public places, "he added.

The Electoral Commission assured Ghanaians of its commitment to deliver a peaceful election.

It said it is collaborating with security agencies to avoid tensions on Election Day.

Source: GNA

 

 
 

 

Comments ( 0 ): Post Your Comments >>

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.
Featured Video
Previous Post

Prof Benneh’s Killing: Go To High Court For Bail – Lawyers Told

 
 

More Stories

Children Are Given, Not Earned
Ghana Not Among Countries Listed In Netherlands International Travel Ban
Preparations Underway For Ex-Prez Rawlings’ funeral – Government
Angry Man Pours Boiling Water On Wife For Waking Him To Surprise Him With Breakfast In Bed - PHOTOS
Man Allegedly Kills His Girlfriend For Texting Another Man
Atwima Mponua NPP ‘Disappointed’ Akufo-Addo Left Asiamah From Ministerial List
Man Kills Friend Over ¢10 Debt...
Articulated Truck Runs Over Truck Pusher
Failure To Wear Face Masks: Over 200 People Arrested In Tema, Cape Coast

  Local News

  • General News
  • Social
  • Health
  • Education
  • Religion
  • Technology
  • Crime & Justice
  • Travel/Tourism
  • Science/Environment


 
 

 

Other Social Stories

  • Children Are Given, Not Earned

  • Ghana Not Among Countries Listed In Netherlands International Travel Ban

  • Preparations Underway For Ex-Prez Rawlings’ funeral – Government

  • Angry Man Pours Boiling Water On Wife For Waking Him To Surprise Him With Breakfast In Bed - PHOTOS

  • Man Allegedly Kills His Girlfriend For Texting Another Man

  • Atwima Mponua NPP ‘Disappointed’ Akufo-Addo Left Asiamah From Ministerial List

  • Man Kills Friend Over ¢10 Debt...

  • Articulated Truck Runs Over Truck Pusher

  • Failure To Wear Face Masks: Over 200 People Arrested In Tema, Cape Coast

  • 3 Persons In Police Custody At Walawale Test Positive For COVID-19

 

 
 

Popular Videos

Election Petition: Maurice Ampaw’s Reaction

NDC Makes Another Mistake In Their Corrected Petition – Nana B

Provision Of PPEs: You Can Close Down Schools...But Leave Us Out - Private Schools To GES

Mahama Doesn’t Believe He Won The Election; I Know Him - Kabila

Election Petition: Respect The Ruling Of The Supreme Court - MP To NDC

I Hope You’ll Not Accuse Supreme Court Judges Of Unfairness - Kabila To Mahama

Peace FM Online and Despite Media

peacefmonline.com offers its reading audience with a comprehensive online source for up-to-the-minute news about politics, business, entertainment and other issues in Ghana

Follow us on social media:

Category

  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Trivia
  • Foreign
  • Audio
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Elections
Decision Time
Ghana Election 2020 2016 Elections
Services
Online Radio Audio on Demand Ghana Elections Advertise with Us
Useful Links
Despite Media About Us Contact Us Feedback Form Terms and Conditions Privacy
Our Brands
Despite Media UTV Peace FM Okay FM Hello FM Neat FM Peacefmonline
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2020 Peacefmonline.com - An online portal owned and managed by Despite Media

  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Articles
  • Trivia
  • Foreign
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Audio
  • Election 2020

© 2020 Peacefmonline.com - An online portal owned and managed by Despite Media