Presidential Committee Begins Mopping Up Of Arms In Anambra

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, March 9th, 2016

By Ignatius Okpara

The Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM) has begun a four week National survey in Anambra State.

According to the officials, the exercise is part of the committee’s mandate to curtail proliferation of illicit small Arms and Light Weapon across Nigeria.

Manager of the programme, Mr Dickson Orji, disclosed this to newsmen Tuesday in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

Orji who spoke through the State Coordinator of PRESCOM, Mr Chris Oko, called on residents of the selected communities in Anambra to cooperate with its field researchers to achieve ultimate goal and common good for all the citizens of Nigeria.

He hinted that PRESCOM was carrying a comprehensive National small Arms and Light Weapon survey across Nigeria as part of its mandate to stem the tide of proliferation of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria.

Orji said the National Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Survey project was being undertaken within the context of a Regional (West African) Survey programme, initiated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Orji further said the program required the National Agencies and Commissions on SALW in member States to conduct their National Action Plan for combating the evils of proliferation in their respective countries which most National Commissions of ECOWAS member states have completed their National Survey.

He noted that in undertaking this responsibility, PRESCOM was partnering with a number of Foreign and Local consultants, the local consultant are the Centre of Population and Environmental Development (CPED), the University of Benin, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru Jos and MAXPRE as the lead Statistician and Data Analyst.

The programme Manager, revealed that each of the consultants had zonal and State Coordinators as well as researchers and enumerators working with them in the 36 States and the FCT.

He said, the critical parameters for the survey covers approximately 9,000 Households, 300 representatives of Civil Society Organizations and 900 Law Enforcement officials from various security and Law enforcement Agencies to ensure the widest possible representation of the population.

Orji added that the programme is ongoing in the 36 States of the Federation since February, saying the exercise would last for four weeks.