Unregistered gun owners likely to face life imprisonment

• Posted on May 20, 2014May 20, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Suspects found guilty of owning an unregistered gun or a light weapon could soon be handed life sentences.

That’s according to the National Commission on small arms and light weapons.

The commission is currently undertaking consultations to review the existing 1962 legislation to respond to current challenges.

For instance, proposals made for consideration include one can apply to own a weapon at age 21 up from the current age of 18.

There is also a proposal to place geographical limit on weapons registered.  So that it would be impossible for weapons registered in Accra to be taken to Kumasi.

Executive secretary of the commission Jones Aplerh told  Joy News’ Elton Brobbey, unaccounted for weapons in wrong hands threaten the security of the state and the law when amended would cater for all that.

He added the Commission is also looking into the number of weapons one can own.

At best, one person would only be licensed to own one weapon.

He said under the current regime it is legal for one person to own an armory in his house which would make it possible for anybody at all to raise an army.

He said there are lots of people who are in custody of arms who are not supposed to own one.

Jones Aplerh is convinced the new law will deal with all of that.

Whilst welcoming the decision to amend the law, the Head of the Department of Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre Dr. Kwesi Anning said the demographics in terms of increasing the age at which a person can license a gun is not as important as producing a data base to know which companies manufacture arms and which people are licensed to use guns.

When asked which type of guns in the system-locally produced guns or imported guns- are posing more threat to national security, he said all types of guns in a wrong hands pose major challenge to the country.

Author: Nathan Gadugah