Arewa Youth Commends NASS Over NATCOM Bill, Urge President To Sign

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); 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).

Addressing Journalist in Abuja, the national coordinator of the group, Amb. Zakari Hashim, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign these bills into law considering the importance and the over increasing population of Nigeria.

Arewa youth described the passage of these important bills as overwhelming hence the urgent need for ascend by Mr President. 

He commends the leadership qualities of the Director General of NATCOM Dr. Baba for reviving the agency and according him, “it’s now fully back to life with the new development with the just pronounced disbandment of NATFORCE by the Federal government”.

He 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 nonavailability of any agency that is saddled with the responsibility of checkmating this menace that has suddenly turned to a cankerworm,” he sadi.

He further said, “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 Raful Arebeshola, his will automatically birth a new light and singanage of the NATCOM bill receiving attention before Mr.President.

According to him, 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 sign 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.”

Zakari Hashim also urged all stakeholders to to keep foresight and be vigilantl to curtail this time bomb.