The National Centre for the Control Of Small Arms And Light Weapons, NCCSALW is seeking partnership with Voice of Nigeria, VON, based on its multilingual broadcast capacity.
The National Coordinator of the Centre, Major General Abba Dikko (rtd) said the Media is an important tool in the quest to achieve a weapon free society and this made the Centre to identify with VON in order to reach out to listeners not just in Nigeria but across the areas of concern including the neighbouring countries.
He stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Mr Osita Okechukwu in Abuja on Thursday.
General Dikko said; “We decided to partner with VON as it transmits programmes in local and international languages such English, French, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo Fulfulde and others.
According to him, ‘‘the Center will not just address the issue of the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons at national level but also at state level…In doing so, some communities are stakeholders in the sense that they are the gateway for the proliferation of the Small Arms and Light Weapons.”
General Dikko said; “One of the objectives for the set up of the National Centre For The Control Of Small Arms And Light Weapons is the mainstreaming of the issues related to the proliferation illicit small Arms and Light Weapons in our national discuss. The Centre however was established in May 3rd, 2021, to formulate and implement policies that would eradicate the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
“The National Centre came onboard as result of the provisions of the Ecowas convention on the control of Small Arms and Light Weapons which Nigeria is signatory to and requires member states to have at the national level, a mechanism that is a focal point to address issues related to the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons.”
The former Theatre Commander Operation LAFIYA DOLE now Operation HADIN KAI said; ”there is a bill presently at the National Assembly which when passed into law would boost the activities of the Centre.”
Responding, the Director General Voice of Nigeria, VON, Mr. Osita Okechukwu said the Organisation has upscaled its broadcast and utilised the time zones to get information across to the audience.
Mr Okechukwu expressed concern about non state actors and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and commended the Centre for the work it was doing.
He also commended the partnership offer by the Centre, saying ”it will enrich the content of programmes in VON.”
The National Centre For the Control of Small Arms And Light Weapons consist of personnel drawn from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Nigerian Police as well as the Department of State Security Services.
The team from the NCCSALW were; the Deputy National Coordinator NCCSALW, Major General Emmanuel Ekwesi, Director Policy and Plans, Commodore Mohammed Salisu, Director Strategic Communications and Information, Air Commodore Ewejide Akintunde, and Director Operations, Commissioner of Police, Chris Owolabi.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
