The ongoing Odwira Festival at Ahwerease in the Akuapem South Municipality of the Eastern Region has been marred by tragedy following a shooting incident that left one person dead and four others injured. The unfortunate incident, which occurred on Wednesday, October 22, reportedly followed a dispute between the Abokomahene and the Abimuhene of Ahwerease, escalating into an exchange of gunfire among some young men.A pump-action gun and a pistol used during the incident have been retrieved by the police, while thirty-four (34) individuals have been detained for their involvement in the shooting.

Meanwhile, Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Ebenezer Tetteh has warned against future occurrence, adding that his outfit will not tolerate acts of violence.

The use of unlicensed guns has become a growing trend in Ghana, particularly during festivals. Illegal possession of small arms continues to pose a significant challenge across the country.

However, Ghana has strengthened its global stance against nuclear weapons. In September, Ghana joined sixty-nine (69) other nations in efforts to reduce and ultimately eradicate dangerous weapons, particularly nuclear bombs, from the world.

Announcing the development on Saturday, September 27, via the X platform, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, stated that Ghana has officially ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The move, according to the Minister, reflects Ghana’s commitment to supporting global peace and a stable security for the world. The Minister further applauded both the Cabinet and Parliament for their unanimous approval of the treaty.

He also recalled how Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, was a strong advocate of disarmament in 1962, adding that the late President would be proud of this groundbreaking step.

“Yesterday, Ghana boldly demonstrated to the world that we shall be a Nuclear-Weapon-Free State by depositing our instrument of ratification on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) at the UN. I commend the Ghanaian Cabinet and Parliament for the unanimous ratification. As I indicated in my UN address, Ghana has been consistent across all political parties in advocating for total disarmament and creating a new world without nuclear weapons.

“Ghana’s Founder, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, who convened the 1962 World Without the Bomb conference in Accra, would be absolutely proud of this moment. It was an honour to meet with the inspiring Melissa Parke and Seth Shelden of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). ICAN won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for their groundbreaking work to attain a world without nuclear weapons. We shall triumph and end global impunity,” he wrote.

Ghana’s final ratification of the TPNW was signed in 2017 and approved by Parliament in July 2025. Ghana has been instrumental in promoting Africa’s stance as a nuclear-free continent.

The sixty-nine (69) countries that have ratified the treaty are: Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, and Madagascar.

The others include: Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Niue, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the State of Palestine, Sudan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In Ghana, institutions such as the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) have called on the judiciary to impose stricter punishments on individuals found in possession of unlicensed firearms.

In 2024, NACSA reported one million illicit pump-action guns, AK-47s, pistols, and locally manufactured arms in circulation in Ghana. The Commission described these figures as a threat to national security.

The Head of the National Arms Marking Programme at the time, Mr. Frank Boateng Asumani, stated: “Currently, we have 2.3 million small and light weapons in circulation, out of which 1.2 million are legally registered and the remaining 1.1 million cannot be accounted for.”

Speaking to The Independent Ghana, the Deputy Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation (PPME) at NACSA, Gyebi Asante, stressed the urgent need to review existing laws governing firearms possession to better counter current security challenges.

“We are advocating for the law to be reviewed to suit the current situation and also be able to align with our current dispensation. It is something we have taken steps to do. Already, we have a proposed Bill, the National Arms Bill, at the Ministry of Interior to look at the document and endorse it.

"For example, the penal sanction, when you have a law that regulates the possession of arms that can kill, you must have a strong penal sanction that can deter people from going behind the law to buy these weapons, so the law as it is now is not deterrent enough,” he added.

He emphasized that the current penal sanctions are insufficient to deter illegal arms possession. According to him, the existing law stipulates a maximum jail term of five years or a fine of up to 1,000 penalty units, equating to 12,000 Ghana cedis.

He added that there is no minimum penalty established, allowing judges to exercise discretion in sentencing. This loophole, he indicated, has led to situations where individuals found guilty of illegal gun possession could potentially pay as little as 100 Ghana cedis or serve a mere two weeks in jail.

“For example, it says that you can be jailed for not more than 5 years and you can also be fined for not more than 1,000 penalty units. A penalty unit is 12 Ghana cedis, which makes it 12,000 Ghana cedis, not beyond, but it doesn’t give a minimum.

"If you are arrested for illegally possessing a gun, the judge uses his discretion and he can decide that go and pay 100 cedis and if you don’t pay you will go to jail for two weeks because the law does not give you any minimum requirement. We see that as a serious challenge and a gap in the law that must be addressed,” he added.

Mr. Asante revealed that the Commission has submitted to the Ministry of Interior a proposal to amend the current Arms and Ammunition (Amendment) Act, 1972 (Act 604).

The National Arms Bill aims to close the existing gaps in the law, ultimately working towards a safer environment for all Ghanaians. Additionally, he emphasized the urgent need for the bill to be enacted into law to ensure effective control and regulation of small arms and light weapons (SALW).

Established by an Act of Parliament in 2007, NACSA’s mandate includes regulating the possession and control of small arms and light weapons, with a particular focus on curbing illegal production, trade, transfer, and cross-border movement of such weapons that contribute to crime and insecurity.