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Guns destroyed in Ho to mark UN
Weapons Destruction Day
Ho, July 27, GNA - Some 446 guns were destroyed in Ho on
Thursday to mark the United Nations Weapons Destruction Day,
commemorated every July 9.
They included cap, short and long barrel guns many of which
were clandestinely manufactured locally.
Lieutenant Frank Kusi-Darko of the 66th Artillery Regiment
Ho who commandeered the destruction exercise, said the guns
were seized in joint military/police exercises at conflict
zones, busted armed robberies and swoops.
Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Deputy Minister of the Interior who
torched the pile of guns mounted at the Police Depot and
Training School in Ho, said it was hoped that the
legislation on small arms which also set up the National
Commission on Small Arms would curb the desire to possess
illicit guns and document those in use.
The UNDP and DFID-UK supported the day's activities, which
were under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior with
the theme, "Ghana's Development Through the Campaign Against
the Proliferation and Misuse of Small Arms".
The National Commission on Small Arms organized the
activities, which included a route march of school pupils
and students, a durbar and an informal interaction with the
media.
Mr Agyeman-Manu told the durbar attended by the security
services, pupils and students and chiefs that preceded the
destruction of guns that the proliferation of illicit small
and light weapons had serious implications on human security
as profoundly manifested in West Africa.
He said the phenomenon "fuels human rights violations,
escalates conflicts and intensifies poverty".
Mr Agyeman-Manu said it had been "empirically established
that small arms kill more than half a million men, women and
children on average each year globally".
He blamed the recent spate of robberies and the premeditated
murders and domestic tragedies on the proliferation of arms.
Mr Agyeman-Manu advised that "let he who has no small arms
desire not to own one for it can bring a family tragedy. Let
he who has illicit small arms to the police to regularize
it, for it can send you to jail".
He added, "let he who possesses small arm(s) legally use it
responsibly, for it make you regret keeping one for the rest
of you life".
Dr. Kofi Kesse Manfo, Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP)
in charge of operations, said the police were progressing
steadily to get the perpetrators of the recent murders.
He said it was however to early to release facts or say
whether the people were contracted to carry out the
killings.
Mr Daouda Toure, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP
Representative in a statement read on his behalf, said Ghana
joining in the worldwide observance of the day mirrored the
country as a peace loving one and ready to work to stop the
proliferation of small arms.
Sarah MacGregor, a Representative of DFID, said the project
to curb the proliferation would help reduce conflicts.
GNA.
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