UNDP presents vehicle to Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Wednesday donated a Toyota Land Cruiser to the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (GNACSA) in Accra.
The vehicle that cost $89,000 was to complement government’s efforts in ensuring effective regulation of small arms and light weapons in the country.
Dr Kamil Kamalluddeen, Country Director for UNDP, presenting keys of the vehicle, said the donation was to support efforts of the commission in coordinating and monitoring small arms.
He said this would enable the Commission to ensure that small arms and light weapons were kept beyond elicit use.
He said for the commission to be able to achieve its purpose, it needed massive support in various forms to develop a strategic process towards the proliferation of small arms.
Dr Kamalluddeen said UNDP would continue to support the commission as well as national efforts since Ghana was a developing economy and much would have to be done to attain her mandate.
Dr Benjamin Kunbour, Minister of the Interior, receiving the keys on behalf of the commission, expressed gratitude to UNDP for its kind gesture, saying government would continue to appreciate its efforts towards the development of the commission.
He urged the Commission to use the Toyota Land Cruiser for its intended purpose and to maintain it to prolong the lifespan.
Lieutenant-Colonel Seth Ohene-Asare, Chairman of GNACSA, said the Commission had the mandate to set in place programmes of action to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.
He said the Commission was also responsible for educating and sensitising the public and provide information on the dangers of small arms and light weapons, in order to discourage their production and ensure that deliberations under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were complied with.
Lt-Col Ohene-Asare noted that some major challenges of the commission were logistics, personnel, accommodation and funding.
He thanked the UNDP for the presentation that would go a long way to complement the tireless efforts of the commission.
Source: GNA