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A coalition of civil society organisations has urged the government to suspend the blanket implementation of the recent directive revoking civilian firearm licences, and replace it with a phased, well-coordinated revalidation process backed by clear legal and administrative guidelines.
The coalition, made up of the Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, the Citizens Network for Peace and Security in Africa (CNPSA) and the Journalists’ Network for Peace and Security, said while it supported stronger firearms regulation, the current implementation approach risked creating confusion, undermining public trust and overwhelming state institutions.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, announced the immediate revocation of all firearm permits in the country, and directed all licensed gun owners to undergo a fresh registration process as part of new measures to strengthen public safety.
The directive follows what the minister described as a worrying rise in suicides involving legally registered firearms and incidents in which licensed weapons had been used for criminal activities.
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday on behalf of the coalition, the Executive Director of the Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, Adib Saani, acknowledged the concerns raised by the minister over weaknesses in the country’s firearms licensing regime, particularly the absence of mandatory competence assessments and practical firearms training.
He said firearm ownership carried significant public safety responsibilities and required proper regulation.
Mr Saani, however, argued that the institutions expected to implement the new directive did not appear adequately prepared.
He questioned how thousands of licensed firearm holders across the country would undergo mental health assessments, drug testing through the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), and practical firearms training at approved police shooting ranges without a comprehensive operational framework.
He said the government had not explained the number of people affected, regional testing centres, processing capacity, costs, required documentation, timelines or arrangements for people who were travelling, ill or living in remote communities.
“Public administration is not an announcement. It involves planning, coordination, capacity, logistics, communication, documentation and accountability,” he said.
He said failure to address those issues could result in congestion, delays, selective enforcement and opportunities for abuse.
The coalition also criticised what it described as inadequate public education before the announcement of the directive.
“Firearms regulation cannot be treated like a secret security operation.
It affects public safety, lawful ownership, community trust, policing, and national security.
The public must be educated on what has changed, why it has changed, what the legal basis is, what firearm owners must do, what timelines apply, what offences may arise, and what safeguards exist against arbitrary treatment,” Mr Saani said.
He indicated that the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons had a statutory responsibility to educate the public on firearms issues and should have led a nationwide awareness campaign before enforcement.
The organisations further warned that the directive risked undermining public confidence generated by the recent gun amnesty programme.
Mr Saani recalled that the Ministry for the Interior and the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons had recently encouraged owners of unregistered firearms to surrender or regularise them without fear of prosecution, leading to the regularisation or destruction of more than 4,000 weapons.
He said abruptly revoking firearm licences without a clear transitional arrangement could discourage public participation in future amnesty programmes.
“Public safety depends not only on enforcement; it depends on trust,” he said.
Mr Saani, therefore, called on Parliament to prioritise the passage of the proposed Arms Bill to modernise the country’s firearms regulatory framework.
He said the draft legislation included provisions for improved licensing procedures, stronger institutional coordination, digital firearms databases, ballistic tracing, certified shooting ranges and compliance with regional and international arms control obligations.
He maintained that the country’s existing firearms laws were outdated and did not adequately address current challenges, including the growth of the private security industry, illicit arms trafficking, digital record keeping and mental health concerns.
Mr Saani also questioned the legal basis of the Minister for the Interior’s directive, and called for greater clarity on whether the exercise constituted a revocation, suspension, recall, audit or re-registration of firearm licences.
He urged the ministry to publish the legal framework underpinning the decision, implementation guidelines, categories of affected persons, exemptions, approved testing centres, costs, timelines and an appeals mechanism for applicants whose licences might be refused or delayed.
Mr Saani further recommended the publication of a national implementation protocol within one month, disclosure of the number of valid civilian firearm licences in the national database, nationwide public education involving key security institutions and civil society, the establishment of certified regional firearms training centres and an independent complaints and appeals system.
He further urged the state to intensify efforts against illicit arms trafficking, illegal local manufacture of weapons, armed criminal groups and the misuse of firearms during elections, land disputes, festivals and chieftaincy conflicts.
“We urge the minister to treat this matter not as a show of authority, but as an opportunity for national reform.
We call for consultation, transparency, legal clarity, institutional preparedness, and public education,” he said.
