Ghana: Security Council Announces New Measures on Sale, Acquisition of Firearms GHANA BROADCASTING CORPORATION RADIO 1 Thursday, August 17, 2000 The National Security Council has directed the inspector general of police to institute immediate measures to ensure full compliance with the law relating to the sale and acquisition of firearms. In addition, the police are to ensure that all arms dealers keep record of the serial numbers of arms in various armories, as well as the particulars of persons to whom guns are sold. These measures, which are primarily to check armed robbery and other criminal activities, are part of recommendations made in the report of the committee set up by the National Security Council last August, under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Colonel (E. Braket). A statement signed by the minister for national security, Kofi Totobi-Quakyi, requests all arms dealers to make such records available at the office of the National Security Coordinator and the ministry of interior every month. It warns that arms dealers who disobey the regulations will only have themselves to blame. The statement says that the police and (word indistinct) are to conduct periodic inspections of all armories as stipulated by law. An independent inspection team will also conduct surprise inspections to ensure full compliance with the regulations. It announced that the current ban on the sale of shotguns and cartridges is to be lifted as of the first of next month, and sales are to be conducted under strict supervision. However, the freeze on the importation of shotguns and cartridges is to remain in force until further notice