Chinyere Amalu
27 July 2007
Abuja — The Inspector-General of Police (IG) Mike Okiro yesterday said that the major challenge facing peace and security in the West African Sub-region is the constant proliferation of small arms.
Speaking in Abuja at a 2-day regional conference on the ratification of the Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, organized by the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA), sponsored by UNDP, the Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro also disclosed that the possession of such weapons by wrong hands has caused the Nigeria Police Force about 200 lives in 2006, alone.
The IG, who speak through the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Ogbonna Onovo, also said that it was unfortunate that Europe and America have found Africa a lucrative market for small arms.
His words, "The major challenges threatening the security forces in the West African region is proliferation of small arms. Handling of such arms by wrong hands has caused Nigerian police force so many lives.
"African leaders should take the issue of peace and security serious as they are both principal to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the year 2015."
He however, warned that the ratification of the Convention which the Workshop intends to lobby should not be made a major issue if African leaders do not have the political will to implement it.
"Nigeria Police as a member of the West African Police Chiefs Council (WAPCO) had raised the issue of security at the body's meetings and have taken further steps to curtailing problems of insecurity arising from the proliferation of small arms and light weapons."
"Let me also warn that the ratification of the Convention on proliferation on small arms which we are here to adopt should not be made a serious issue if our leaders have no political will to implement it", he stressed.
He also pointed out that poor funding, lack of training and equipment in Nigeria Police as responsible for the difficulties encountered in the effort to curtail the act.
"The problem of knowing the legal status or otherwise of fire arms in private hands as well as their sources consist a threat in the effort to control the, mostly in the Niger Delta", he said.
The Senate President, David Mark who was represented by Senator Chris Anyanwu, commended Waansa on the role it has played so far in the venture especially in ensuring the evolvement of better communities in the various member countries and the enthronement of culture of a sustainable peace.
President of the Ecowas Commission, Mohammed Ibn Chambers said that the effect of conflict is the cause of slow development of the Region, stressing that it has become imperative to set up a campaign against the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapon through first, ratification and bringing into force the Convention and its subsequent implementation.
According to him, although peace situation in Africa remains far from perfect, the effort to build a sustainable peace is one that calls for every hand to be on deck.
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