‘CONTROLLING SMALL ARMS AND FIRE ARMS’ Senate Concludes Hearings
By Legislative Corespondent
Monrovia: The Liberian Senate Committees on Defence, Security, Intelligence, Veterans Affairs and Judiciary recently concluded public hearings to amend an act creating the National Commission on Small Arms to provide for the creation of the National Commission on Arms and the Fire Arms and Ammunition Control Act of 2015.
The hearing was intended to discuss the relevance and implications of such amendments, in order to inform the Senate’s relevant Committees a foresight for onwards suggestion to Plenary. The amendments submitted by Pres. George Weah also included an Act to amend the Executive Law.
Appearing before the Senate’s relevant Committees, the Chairman of the National Commission on Small Arms, Atty. Teklo Maxwell Grisby indicated that the amendment will limit government’s economic burden of creating another Commission to manage the handling of conventional arms, noting that the Commission will regulate both small arms and conventional arms.
Atty Grisby added that the amendment will provide for structural adjustments that will be far less than 100% as opposed to creating another Commission to handle conventional arms.
On the issue of tenure, Atty. Grisby justified that when the Act creating the Small Arms Commission came into effect in 2012, tenure was granted to executives of the Commission, therefore, he believes that tenure should be maintained in order to provide for independence, unlimited access and avoid interference from the appointing authority.
The Chairman of the National Commission on Small Arms, defending the relevance of the proposed Amendments said the act will grant exclusive authority to two institutions, Commission on Arms and the Liberia National Police to regulate fire arms.
Atty. Grisby also stated that only the Commission on Arms will be charged with the authority to license arm holders in the country and ensure that only security personnel and hunters are in possession of fire arms, noting that people who are not security nor hunters in possession of fire arms in the country will create complications.
The Presiding Officer of the hearing, Rivergee County Senator, Conmany B. Wesseh concluded by commending the invitees for the presentations and assured that the Senate Committees on Defence, Security, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs as well as Judiciary will submit its report to Plenary for further action on the two proposed amendment.
The Public Hearings brought together Executives of the National Commission on Small Arms, Independent National Commission on Human Rights as well as the Small Arms Control Unit of the Liberia National Police .
