President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of
a national centre for the control of small arms and light weapons (NCCSALW).
AM Dikko, a major general, has been appointed as pioneer
coordinator of the centre.
ZM Usman, head of strategic communication, office of the
national security adviser (NSA), said the NCCSALW replaces the defunct
presidential committee on small arms and light weapons.
Usman said the centre will serve as the institutional
mechanism for policy guidance, research and monitoring of all aspects of small
arms and light weapons (SALW) in Nigeria.
He said the decision to establish the centre is part of the
federal government’s efforts to restructure
the country’s security architecture and address “emerging threats and
strengthen regional mechanism for the control, prevention and regulation of
SALW”.
“The impact of the proliferation of SALW across national
borders in Africa and the Sahel region has resulted in terrorism, human
trafficking, organized crime, and insurrections in West Africa and Nigeria,”
the statement read.
“Therefore, as one of the measures in tackling this threat,
the new Centre will be fulfilling the requirements of the ECOWAS Moratorium on
Import, Export, and Manufacture of Light Weapons as well as the UN Plan of
Action to prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit trade in SALW.
“The NCCSALW will
serve as the National Focal Point on SALW in Nigeria and lead a
multi-stakeholder process involving Government Ministries, Departments,
Agencies and the Civil Society in implementing all national, UN and ECOWAS
Plans of Action on the control of SALW.
“The Centre will maintain international cooperation and also
operate zonal offices in the Six Geopolitical Zones to ensure quick response
and effective mobilization of resources.”
Dikko, the pioneer coordinator of the centre, is said to
have vast experience working with ECOWAS and the UN.
He was a course director at the Kofi Annan lnternational
Peacekeeping Centre and chief instructor of the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping
Centre.
He has also served as commander of operation Lafiya Dole.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com