By Precious D. Freeman
The Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LNCSA) is poised to destroying over 255,000 weapons and ammunition at the Edward Beyan Kesselly (EBK) Barracks at the end of the month.
LNCSA’s boss, Atty. Maxwell Grigsby placed the value of weapons and ammunition to be destroyed at about US$5M and noted that to ensure the transparency of the exercise, the Commission have sought the supervision of the Ministry of National Defense.
He made the remarks at the regular briefing at Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) on Thursday, October 6, 2022 and added, “We have as well consulted the office of the President through the security advisor because this destruction is a national event. We have also contacted the Police through their boss, Patrick Sudue and they too consented. It is historic because it will be the first time in 30 years.”
“NSA is responsible for intelligence within the country for external intrusion, so we have consulted the U.S. Embassy because we do not want a destruction exercise where arms and ammunition that are taken from these facilities end up returning to the communities. So as Chairperson of the Commission, I have asked the NSA to provide support to the exercise,” Grigsby said; highlighting that the process is meant to keep the country save from now up to 2023.
According to him, there will be five regional groups that have supported the commission financially and are coming to Liberia to be physically present to observe the exercise.
He stressed that the United Nations Office on Disarmament Affairs in New York represented by its Officer in Charge, the Regional Center on Small Arms based in East Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Technical Arm Group providing training to technicians, ECOWAS and the Regional Arms Office under ECOWAS Project will all be present during the exercise.
Meanwhile, Atty. Grigsby has given all unlicensed arms holders between now and December to voluntarily inform the Commission so that their arms will be recorded.
“We will take the arms from those who will bring them to us voluntarily. But those who feel they still want them can make an application and they will be heard and if their reasons are justifiable, they could be licensed. It is not a matter of right but a matter of people justifying why they want firearms,” he assured.
“We are saying this because after December the Commission will proceed to issue search and seizure warrant and some of the Liberians we see on Facebook displaying arms have already presented evidence against themselves. Our social media team has recorded them,” he said.
“It is not a campaign strategy or government’s strategy and that why we saying it now because when the time comes, people will say we are witch-hunting. The law says people should not possess firearms without being licensed. So if you do not obtain a license you will be prosecuted, but between now and December there is no prosecution,” he stressed.
“I am using this medium to reecho this so that in January when we start to run after people to arrest and prosecute them, Liberians will not say because they are not members of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). Even members of the ruling parties who illegally possess firearms will also be arrested and prosecuted,” the Commission’s Chairperson Grigsby warned.
