The West Africa Network for Peace building (WANEP)- Ghana says its intelligence gathering reports indicate weapons that were used during the Cote d’Ivoire political crisis have been smuggled into Ghana.
The organization says it fears that such weapons, which have been illegally acquired, could be used during the 2012 general elections to cause mayhem in Ghana.
It is against this backdrop, that the West Africa Network for Peace building has appealed to the security agencies in Ghana to conduct periodic community swoops to retrieve such weapons and ammunition from unauthorized persons.
The organization is also convinced that such a periodic exercise will boost the security agencies's determination to flush out miscreants whose activities endanger human security in most Ghanaian societies.
This was revealed in a four page document issued by WANEP-Ghana as part of its regular national security briefs under its Ghanawarn project that collates data on early warning signals.
The brief signed by Justin Bayor, National Network Coordinator of WANEP-Ghana highlighted armed robbery and proliferation of small arms, accidents and natural disasters as the three thematic areas that affected human security between March and April 2011.
Part of the brief revealed that 55 Ivorian combatants were arrested in the Brong-Ahafo Region while another person was arrested with 48 rounds of ammunition at Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western Region.
It added that the Greater Accra Regional Police Command arrested six out of twelve foreigners including an ex-Nigerian soldier and a policeman on two separate deadly occasions between the 20th and 24th April 2011 at the Bundumburam camp and Kaneshie for armed-robbery.
On road accidents, the brief recorded three major accident cases two of which involved Ministers of State, namely Deputy Education Minister Mahama Ayariga and Majority leader Hon. Cletus Avoka whose accidents occurred during the President’s tour of the Upper East Region.
A report submitted by officials of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) revealed that more than 4,000 people were displaced following consistent rainstorms in various parts of the country with the hardest hit being the Northern Regions and the Afram Plains.
The West Africa Network for Peace building as part of its recommendations implored the Ghana Immigration and the Customs Excise and Preventive Services to be more vigilant at the borders to reduce the influx of foreigners and small arms into Ghana.
WANEP-Ghana further urged the National Road Safety Commission, the district assemblies and other allied departments to map out disaster prone settlement communities and implement strategies that will help prevent avoidable flooding in those communities
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