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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Federal Government Thursday called on countries in the Lake Chad Basin Region to establish an enduring network and synergy to curb the menace of proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) across its lands and boarders.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, made the call, said the proliferation of small arms in the lake Chad Basin is a major security concern that has far-reaching consequences for the region.
The SGF, spoke at the opening of a Two-Day multilateral meeting with stakeholders of the Lake Chad Basin Region with theme “Cubing Proliferation of SALW in the Lake Chad Basin Region” holding in Abuja.
The meeting organized by National Centre for the Control of SALW, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), has representatives of the three countries of Lake Chad Basin Region namely Cameroon, Niger and Chad in attendance.
Boss Mustapha while noting that Nigeria alongside other Lake Chad Basin countries should take advantage of the epic meeting to address the upsurge of SALW in the region, said the the proliferation of small arms have contributed to the escalation of conflict and violence and has impeded the economic and social development of the countries in the region.
He said “Small arms are slowly becoming weapons of mass destruction. Their widespread availability has caused tremendous harm to communities and individuals, especially women and children.
“It is, therefore, imperative that we work together to curb the proliferation of small arms in the Lake Chad Basin region, If we must put an end to the senseless and mindless violence of Boko Haram and other violence mongers that are widespread in the region,”.
The SGF, who called for cooperation to implement the existing international and regional agreements on small arms control and to promote the development and implementation of new ones also called for constant dialogue and cooperation to increase public awareness as well as mobilize resources for small arms control initiatives.
In his address at the occasion, the National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Major General Babagana Mongunu, while assuring Nigeria commitment to playing its part in the efforts to tackle SALW proliferation in the Region, noted the devastating effects of the illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons.
He said the availability of these weapons have continued to ignite conflicts, exacerbates violence, and undermines peace and security in the entire region.
He said “We must take decisive action to address this menace and protect the lives and livelihoods of our citizens.
“This meeting provides us with opportunity to collaborate and share experiences and strategize towards curbing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.”
The NSA, pointed out that Nigeria had taken steps to enhance its national firearms control regime, including the establishment of a National Centre for the Control of SALW, and the signing of the ECOWAS Convention on SALW.
“ However, we recognise that this is not a problem that any one country can solve alone. We must work together as a region to address the root causes of this problem including poverty, underdevelopment and poor governance.
“We must also strengthen our border control measures to prevent the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons across our borders.
“Let us use this opportunity to build strong partnerships and develop practical solutions that will make a real difference in the lives of our citizens”.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of SALW, retired Major General Abba Mohammed ,decried the effect of the proliferation of SALW in the region.
He said the prevalent insecurity in the region has led to the loss of several lives, displacement of communities, and hindered the socio-economic development of the region.
According to him, “It behooves on us to take drastic measures to find lasting solutions that will help to reduce and eradicate the proliferation of SALW, so that posterity can fudge us and future generations can sit under the shade tomorrow.
“It is therefore imperative that we come together as stakeholders from different sectors and nations for discuss this pressing issue and devise sustainable and pragmatic solutions to address it,”.
