The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Hon. Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, has opened the Trainer of Trainers Workshop for the Gun Amnesty Programme, aimed at reducing the proliferation and misuse of arms in the country, held at the National Police Training School in Accra. The training is expected to equip officers with the technical knowledge and operational protocols for the amnesty, and prepare them as ambassadors for the programme.
The programme, when launched, will provide an opportunity for Ghanaians to voluntarily register or surrender their unregistered or illicit firearms without fear of interrogation, arrest, or prosecution.
Speaking at the Workshop, the Deputy Minister emphasized the worrying rise in gun-related violence in the country. He assured the public that the amnesty is not a trap, but rather an opportunity for citizens to do the right thing and hand over their unregistered firearms voluntarily.
“The goal is simple but urgent; to remove illicit firearms in circulation, enhance public safety and reinforce Ghana’s reputation as a haven of peace and security in West Africa,” the Deputy Minister said.
Hon. Terlabi urged participants to carry out their duties with honesty, patience, and respect for every individual they encounter, and to build trust and uphold confidentiality.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Small Arms Commission, Dr. Adam Bonaa the Executive Secretary of NACSA, Dr. Adam Bonaa, described the exercise as a crucial step toward implementing one of Ghana’s most elaborate firearm amnesty programmes since independence.
Dr. Bonaa noted that the training aims to equip selected officers with the requisite knowledge and skills to serve as trainers across the country.
The workshop brought together officers from the Ministry of the Interior, all police districts across the country, as well as officials the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
