From JOHN FWAH, Kaduna
The National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council trained no fewer than 40 journalists.
The participants were drawn from chapels of the union on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the society for the event which was held at the council’s secretariat.
According to the chairman of the council, Comrade Asma’u Yawo Halilu, the aim of the training is to help members to improve on their communication skills, including how to articulate their message clearly and concisely in the interest of national development.
” This also offers our members the opportunity to learn how to handle difficult questions or scenarios. And also as a capacity building to enhance coverage of the activities of the center professionally and ethically.
” Today’s training is the third of its kind in the last four months. Before now, 90 members had benefited from similar training, and more are still coming. Until we get all our members trained, we will not relent,” the council chairman said.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of NCCSALW, AVM Haruna Mohammed (rtd), disclosed during the training that the centre has recovered 30,000 small arms, light weapons and ammunition in Nigeria since its establishment in 2001.
Mohammed said, since the establishment of the Center, a lot of recoveries of illicit small arms and light weapons and ammunition have so far been recorded. “Over 10,000 small arms and light weapons and over 20,000 ammunition of different calibers have so far been recovered.”
According to the coordinator, proliferation of small and light arms is a major catalyst for insecurity, not only in Nigeria, but globally.
“Proliferation of small arms and light weapons infatuate the upsurge of armed groups, communal clashes, cultism, kidnapping, ethnic and religious violence the world over and these result to loss of lives and property and displacement of our people.
“It is against this background that the federal government of Nigeria found it necessary as part of efforts to rejig the security architecture, to establish NCCSALW to serve as a security mechanism for the prevention and control of proliferation of small arms and light weapons towards peace and security in Nigeria”. Mohammed said.
Mohammed however, explained that the training was organised in realisation of the critical role of the media in enlightening the public about the activities of NCCSALW.
