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Photo Courtesy: Abod |
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THE DANGER OF SMALL ARMS IN
GHANA
Kweku Asare
Accra, February 19, Ghanadot.com - Over the last five
decades, Ghana has considered herself as an oasis of peace
within the West African Sub-region. The nation, despite
several military incursions in her political history and
influx of refugees, has managed to maintain relative peace.
This obviously, is in sharp contrast to the situation where
virtually all her neighbours have gone through a series of
social upheavals and even wars lasting for several years in
most cases. The unfortunate examples are Liberia, Sierra
Leone, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea etc. The situation in recent
years is ob the decline though.
As stated earlier, the nation has had relative peace and
everybody; I mean everybody is grateful for it. But this is
no more. This reputation is under intense threat if nothing
concrete is done about the increasing proliferation of small
arms across the country.
Indeed, previous governments and administrations in Ghana
have put in place several stringent laws and regulations al
aimed at nibbing the cancer in the bud. But like in previous
times efforts only remain just that – TALK - resulting in
the increase in the numbers.
Recently on June 14 2006, government signed an ECOWAS Head
of States Convention stopping the manufacture, sale and
proliferation of small arms and other weapons. However,
stated earlier, the convention has not been ratified.
Before the august House of Parliament, there is a Bill
before Parliament that better addresses how the law deals
with this issue.
At a recent international conference on small arms Mr Dan
Agyeman of the Ghana Small Arms Committee, a body charged
with working to limit the manufacture, sale and flow of
small arms in the country, underlined that there were so
many illicit weapons around the country, adding that there
was enough weapons to destabilize the country if we all do
not take immediate action!
Over the last year there has been a noticeable rise in the
number of violent crimes committed across the country.
Noticeable among all is the cases of land guards and
killings through shooting, leaving many Ghanaians to wonder
what the actual cause could be?
Most have concluded that outside influences are to blame for
the nation’s current plight, suggesting that Western movies
and music videos which laud a "gangster" lifestyle have
turned many of our youth into imitations of their Western
counterparts. Others attribute the situation to lack of jobs
and economic hardship. But the latter is arguable
considering the cost involved here. That could be another
debate for later.
A more succinct argument has been the fact that, Ghana’s
borders are highly porous, allowing virtually everything and
anything. The fact is that border control is lax.
Mr Agyeman said the Ghana Small Arms Committee has no
statistics on how many guns are in the country including
those smuggled into the country because of the lack of
adequate security at our borders. They are unable also to
tell where they originate from.
"We hardly ever find out about smuggled weapons, and when we
do, the nation’s policy is to seize and destroy. Therefore,
we cannot trace where they come from. Besides there is no
underground tracing done due to logistical difficulties
industry sources said at the conference.
If Ghana is to remain the peaceful place that our
forefathers envisaged it to be and not to degenerate into
the situation in the countries listed, greater effort must
be made to take control of our borders. Government attempts
to control the borders must be visible and tight to give the
operators in the business no room at all to operate.
This brings the discussion to the critical point that is:
the weapons used to commit crimes are manufactured locally,
that is right here in Ghana!
The turth accoding to Mr Agyeman is that a person can set up
a legitimate business as a blacksmith, and sell crude
weapons on the side. "For as little as $100 you can get a
gun in Ghana," said Agyeman. Guns are being sold at the same
price as most cellular phones, and they are as simple to
obtain as walking into a store.
Although strict laws are in place prohibiting the
manufacturing of guns in the country, implementation has not
been effective, very litle is seen to be done.We can only
hope that the Bill before Parliament will be more specific
and all embracing
"We have concluded that for those who make the guns it is
more cost effective than farming or making other tools," Mr
Agyeman said, explaining that this needed to be countered by
making legitimate activity more worthwhile and profitable
than illegal arms production.
I believe that to eliminate this problem, one sure way is to
put in place mechanisms to attract persons with small arms
to hand them over at designated places across the country
for a handsome reward just as its done in countries that
have just come out of war. Farming must also be made more
profitable and less cumbersome, thus I welcome the impact
that the some of the money from the Millennium Challenge
Account and other funds will be having for those who choose
to go into farming.
It may sound rather radical and far fetched looking at our
circumstances – as not only a peaceful country, but as a
role model in West Africa and the continent as a whole, it
stands to reason that we quickly take this action before
things get out of hand.
Yet as it emerged a the Small Arms Conference the use of
small arms is most dangerous to us all that as Mr Agyeman
warns:” small arms lead to small crimes that lead to bigger
ones so we must educate the people and let them know that
this threat is present and must be reported to the police
promptly". Additionally, the police should not just arrest
people and destroy the guns. They must follow the trail to
make our lives more safe and worth the living without having
to surrender our life savings and property to people
(sometimes as young as 12) who spring small arms on us and
killing or maiming us in the process.
It is most refreshing that the Ghana Small Arms Commission
has begun a nationwide campaign to raise awareness among
school children in all the regions and they have also
granted amnesty from prosecution to those who voluntarily
hand in their weapons.
Small steps towards solving a large and growing case of gun
violence in Ghana. How refreshing! But everyone must lend a
hand to get over the disturbing presence small arms in our
system
Kweku Asare, Ghanadot.com Accra, February 19, 2007.
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