Monrovia – The new Chairman of the National Commission on Small Arms, Tekloh Maxwell Grigsby, has called for more awareness and education on the proliferation and illicit sale of small and light arms in Liberia.
At his taking over ceremony, Grigsby said he is coming to the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNSCA) with a passion to advocate for the control of small arms and light weapons in Liberia and beyond.
Grigsby took over LiNSCA on Wednesday.
He said reports show that conflicts and instabilities across Africa is mostly as a result of the proliferation of arms and the illegal trade of small arms and light weapons across borders.
He promised that his administration would be vigilant in the fight against the illegal sale of arms through six areas of concentration. He named these six areas as education and sensitization programs; implementation of relevant community-based macro projects in exchange for arms collected and reported by the host communities; civilian arm registration marking, record-keeping, weapons collection and destruction of small arms and light weapons; networking and collaboration with Mano River Union Counterparts, Decentralization, Deterrence and capacity Building.
Mr. Grigsby pointed out that it is imperative that attention is paid to the conflict and fragility triggers including the instruments such as the proliferation of small arms that have destabilizing effect of which Liberia has seen and experienced.
He said the adverse impact of the use of small arm during the war and its illicit trade and proliferation within the territory limits cannot be overly emphasized.
Speaking earlier, the outgoing LiNCSA boss Melvin Sarkor reminded his successor to focus on some of the areas he stopped during his four months stay at the Commission.
He called for the decentralization of the Commission’s activities nationwide.
Sackor who is now the Deputy Police Inspector General for operations encouraged the new LiNCSA head to help formulate policies to help address the proliferation of Small Arms and light weapons across Liberia.
Mr. Sarkor recommended the establishment of the small arms task force; the setting up of the arms inspection team which he noted will help ensure full accountability of arms and to avoid arm conflicts.
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