Naa Professor Edmund Nminyem Delle Chiir VIII, Paramount Chief of Nandom Traditional Area, has expressed concern about the proliferation of small arms in Ghana, which he affirmed poses a significant threat to national security, public safety, and sustainable development.
Naa Prof. Delle Chiir VIII has therefore endorsed the swift passage of the National Small Arms Bill 2023, which aims to regulate the possession, manufacture, and sale of small arms, thereby reducing the risk of armed violence and promoting a culture of peace.
In an interview, the Nandom King, who is an acclaimed statesman, commended the West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA Ghana) and other partners, including the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator, who is managing the Saving Lives Entity Fund Project (SALIENT).
The Salient Fund project is being implemented through the UN Agencies (UNDP and UNODC) working in collaboration with WAANSA Ghana, the National Commission for Small Arms, and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) to integrate small arms control into development frameworks.
Naa Prof Delle Chiir VIII, who is also an accomplished dermatologist, also called on traditional rulers to play a pivotal role in the advocacy for the passage of the National Small Arms Bill, leveraging their influence and credibility to mobilize support from key stakeholders, including parliamentarians, civil society organizations, and local communities.
“Traditional rulers play a vital role in Ghanaian society, commanding respect and trust from their subjects,” Naa Prof. Delle Chiir VIII, an astute governance expert, noted.
Naa Prof. Delle Chiir VIII noted that traditional rulers have a unique platform to amplify the importance of the National Small Arms Bill, reaching a wider audience and generating momentum for its passage.
He, therefore, noted that WAANSA Ghana’s efforts to engage traditional rulers and other stakeholders, including the media and duty bearers, can lend credibility to the advocacy efforts, helping to build trust and confidence among key stakeholders.
He called on traditional rulers to mobilize their subjects and local communities to support the passage of the National Small Arms Bill by creating a groundswell of demand for action.
To address the proliferation of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition in Ghana and the ECOWAS sub-region, Ghana has commenced the implementation of interventions to address the illicit trafficking of small arms, light weapons, and improvised explosive devices within the prevailing context of the increasingly volatile security situation in the Sahel and neighbouring countries under the SALIENT Project.
The Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT) Fund is a United Nations funding facility, located within the Peacebuilding Fund, which is dedicated to supporting states to tackle armed violence and illicit small arms and light weapons as part of a comprehensive approach to sustainable security and development.
SALIENT responds to the multi-faceted nature of the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons and addresses the root causes of armed violence.
WAANSA-Ghana has been given an exclusive role under the SALIENT Fund Project to lead in advocacy for urgent legal reforms on small arms in Ghana law.
This is to ensure a proper understanding of proposed national legislation, policies, and regulations, reviews to be aligned with existing international, regional, and sub-regional instruments among various national stakeholders in Ghana.
This role to be played by CSOs under the project requires an adequate understanding of the duty bearers’ role in national small arms and light weapons legislation, policies, and regulations, as well as existing international, regional, and sub-regional instruments, for which their capacity is to be enhanced.
