The youths called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the bills into law, considering the insecurity in the country.
The Arewa Youth Civil Society Network has commended the National Assembly for the passage of the Nigerian National Commission against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Establishment) Bill, 2020(SB. 283), and others.
The other ones they were commended for signing are 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 youths called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the bills into law, considering the insecurity in the country.
Coordinator of the group, Zakari Hashim described the passage of the bills as important hence the need for the President to urgently sign them.
A bill passed by the Senate in July seeks to establish a national commission for the coordination and control of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country.
The legislation is a consolidation of these three bills — one proposed by the executive, and the other two sponsored by senators. The house of representatives is yet to pass the bill.
Buhari had blamed the influx of small arms into the country on the crisis in Libya, which he said fuelled insecurity in Nigeria.
Libya has not been stable since the Arab Spring of 2011 and this has led to a humanitarian crisis in the oil-rich country.
In 2021, Buhari approved the establishment of a national centre for the control of small arms and light weapons (NCCSALW).
“We converged here today to address the press on issue that affects safety of average Nigerians, knowing fully well that the press remains the invincible fourth arm of government and a message like this will go faster through this medium than any other medium,” the group said.
“You will agree with us that, the population of Nigeria which is increasing on a daily basis needs an upward review in term of manpower of the country's security agents. No iota of doubt that the current manpower Nigeria security sector embodies is overstretched, imagine a country with more than 200 million population but having not up to 1.5 million security personnel, this call for alacrity reflection.
“Due to this overwhelmed population and inadequate manpower, this has aided free and easy proliferation of light and non-light weapon across the country, the most worrisome part of this time bomb is non-availability of any agency that is saddled with the responsibility of checkmating this menace that has suddenly turned to a cankerworm.
“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 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. 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.
“We are happy that with the disbandment of the NATFORCE by the national security council brief by the honorable minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola, his will automatically birth a new light and signage of the NATCOM bill receiving attention before Mr President, we commend the leadership of the national assembly for the momentum and timely passage of the bill in order to arrest the current security situation in the country.
“The proposed legal framework to establish the Prohibition of Illegal Importation/Smuggling of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapons, Chemical Weapons and Pipeline Vandalism (NATCOM) under the leadership of Dr Baba Muhammad, if signed into law will create over 270,000 jobs for unemployed Nigerian youth and will address the shortfall of security agencies and strengthen internal security to ensure illegal importation of weapons by disgruntled elements in the northern Nigerian and the country at large. We therefore call on all stakeholders to keep foresight and be vigilante to curtail this time bomb.”