The Senate has passed a bill to establish the National Commission for the Coordination and Control of the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
But the passage of the bill has failed to excite Nigerians, who, rather, are saying that the problem of Nigeria is lack of will to implement many laws in existence.
“Does the National Security Adviser, for instance, need any bill to make him alive to his responsibility of securing the nation?
“Similarly, do the nation’s Commander in chief or minister of defence need laws to empower them to secure lives and property of Nigerians or have we not seen and read the inability of the present national assembly to enforce any law even those bothering on insecurity because of their ‘loyalty’ to Mr president, whom they see as infallible and does no wrong nor make mistakes? May God deliver us from the present leadership in our country, “ laments a concerned citizen, who pleaded for anonymity.
However, the passage of the National Commission Against the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Establishment) Bill, 2022, followed the consideration of a report by the Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
The bill is a consolidation of three bills – two private-member bills and one from the Executive arm of government against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country.
They are: The Nigerian National Commission against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Establishment) Bill, 2020(SB. 283); The Nigerian National Commission against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Establishment) Bill, 2020 (SB. 513); and The National Centre for the Coordination and Control of the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Establishment) Bill, 2021 (SB. 794).
The three bills after scaling second reading, respectively, in the Senate, were all referred to the Committee on National Security and Intelligence for further legislative work.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ibrahim Gobir (APC – Sokoto East), in a presentation on the floor, said the three bills seek to provide for the establishment of a government body that will be saddled with combating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.
According to him, the functions of the body shall be in line with Article 24 of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons which came into force in 2009.
The lawmaker, added that the Committee on National Security and Intelligence, resolved to consolidate the three bills into one.
He explained that doing so, would adequately cater for the establishment of a Commission to implement measures aimed at eradicating illicit arms.
Gobir noted that establishing a Commission against proliferation of weapons stemmed from the need to immediately address the nation’s present state of insecurity.
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The National Commission Against the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Establishment) Bill, 2022, was passed by the Senate, after a clause-by-clause consideration of the Committee’s report by the Committee of the Whole.
