By Zobia Zulfqar 
The Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni Valley, Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, has called for the strict enforcement of laws prohibiting the use of live ammunition during festivals and traditional ceremonies, warning that the growing practice has become a serious threat to public safety.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the legislator expressed concern over what he described as the increasing use of modern firearms loaded with live ammunition during cultural celebrations. He said a tradition that once relied on symbolic gun salutes using blank gunpowder has evolved into a dangerous practice that continues to claim innocent lives.
According to Mr. Cudjoe, traditional musketry has long formed part of festivals and the funerals of chiefs and other distinguished personalities. Historically, participants used blank gunpowder to produce ceremonial gun salutes without posing a significant danger to the public.
However, he noted that the practice has gradually changed, with some individuals now using pistols, locally manufactured shotguns, and even assault rifles loaded with live rounds during public celebrations.
“The traditional practice of musketry, which historically involved the use of blank gunpowder to produce symbolic gun salutes during festivals and funerals of chiefs and distinguished personalities, has increasingly been replaced by the use of modern pistols, locally manufactured shotguns and even assault rifles loaded with live ammunition,” he told Parliament.
The MP warned that the misuse of firearms has transformed what should be joyous cultural events into scenes of tragedy, with stray bullets causing injuries and deaths in several communities across the country.
“This is no longer a hypothetical risk. It is an active public safety and security crisis. Citizens are losing their lives in the prime of their youth as a result of stray bullets fired during cultural and traditional celebrations,” he said.
Mr. Cudjoe urged law enforcement agencies and relevant authorities to rigorously enforce existing laws regulating the use of firearms during festivals and other traditional events. He argued that stronger enforcement would help protect lives while preserving Ghana’s rich cultural heritage.
He emphasized that cultural traditions should never become a justification for practices that endanger public safety and called on traditional authorities, community leaders, and festival organizers to work closely with security agencies to eliminate the use of live ammunition.
The legislator also encouraged public education campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers associated with firing live rounds during ceremonies. According to him, community members must understand the difference between traditional musketry and the unlawful use of modern firearms.
Mr. Cudjoe stressed that safeguarding lives should remain a priority while ensuring that Ghana’s cultural celebrations continue in a safe and responsible manner.
His remarks come amid growing public concern over incidents involving stray bullets during festivals and other ceremonial events, with many citizens calling for tougher enforcement measures against offenders.
Observers believe stronger collaboration between traditional leaders, law enforcement agencies, and local communities could help preserve important cultural customs while preventing avoidable injuries and fatalities.
The MP concluded by urging Parliament and the relevant state institutions to support measures that will ensure festivals remain occasions of celebration rather than mourning.