The Government of Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to combating the proliferation of illicit small arms with the destruction of more than 4,000 firearms during the 8th National Arms Destruction Ceremony held at the National Police Training School, Tesano, to commemorate the United Nations Small Arms Destruction Day. The ceremony held under the theme, “Silencing the Guns Through Destruction for a Peaceful, Safe and Gun-Violence-Free Ghana,” underscored the country’s determination to promote peace, enhance public safety and permanently remove illicit weapons from circulation.
Delivering the keynote address, the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Hon Julius Debrah, reaffirmed Government’s unwavering commitment to peace and security, stressing that illicit arms have no place in Ghanaian society as they fuel violent extremism, chieftaincy conflicts and other forms of criminality. He assured the public that the destroyed weapons would never find their way back into society and called on Ghanaians to reject the culture of silence by reporting suspected illegal arms to the security agencies. The Minister for the Interior, Hon Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, also emphasised that security is a shared responsibility and reaffirmed Government’s commitment to strengthening border security and intelligence-led operations to curb the proliferation of illicit weapons.
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA), Dr Adam A. A. Bonaa, highlighted the importance of Ghana’s arms destruction programme in advancing national security and fulfilling international arms control commitments. Speaking on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police by the Director-General of the National Patrols Department, COP Mohammed Fuseini Suraji, reaffirmed the Ghana Police Service’s commitment to combating illegal arms trafficking while commending citizens who voluntarily surrendered unlicensed firearms during the 2025 Gun Amnesty Programme.
The ceremony climaxed with the symbolic cutting and destruction of the illicit firearms. Among those in attendance were the Deputy Minister for Defence, Hon Ernest Brogya Genfi; Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior, Hon Peter Lanchene Toobu; Chief of the Army Staff, Major General Lawrence Kwaku Gbetanu; the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu; Heads of the security agencies, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional leaders and other distinguished guests.
