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LINCSA Warns Against Illegal Possession Of Firearms


  18 Août      27        Society (33411),

   

MONROVIA, Aug. 17 (LINA) – About 200,000 Liberians are said to be in possession of illegal weapons in violation of regulations of the Commission on Small Arms, Teklo Maxwell Grigsby, head of Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LINCSA), has disclosed.

He has also warned Liberians and foreign residents against the possession of illegal firearms.

Mr. Grigsby observed that “too many individuals” are violating the regulations and some are even notoriously violating the laws, adding that some individuals violating the laws are being aided by government officials from the security sector.

Speaking at the official launch of the September 2022 Africa Amnesty Month Project held in Monrovia on Tuesday, Commissioner Grigsby said currently no agency is allowed to give lessons to any individual except the Liberia National Police and the Commission on Small Arms.

The Commissioner said from September to December 2022, those who are in possession of illegal arms are asked to report the arms, adding that during this period “no one will be punished, or prosecuted but anyone caught with weapons after this grace period will be prosecuted.

“We like to acknowledge the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for its critical role and the contribution to the institution,” said Commissioner Grigsby.

He said “silencing the guns is not a Liberia initiative, but an African Union initiative supported by the United Nations with funding from the German Government,” adding, “Most of the work we do on arms control has not just been possible without the German and the United States Governments,” adding, that these two countries, among many others, continue to support the work against arms in Africa.

According to him, Silencing the Gun initiative had been around since 2017 in Africa, but Liberia has not benefited in terms of direct funding.

He said there are lots of money out there for different work, including work on peace “but it will not come until you show that you are disciplined, you have the integrity and then you understand what you want to do.”

“We are grateful to our partners, and our Liberia government remains appreciative as we look up for continued support and working together,”

LINCSA boss said in Liberia, “we mirror our leadership, and politics after the United States so every Liberian feels that they have the constitutional right to possess firearm, and the people could be right because it used to be the Constitutional Right in 1847.”

He said Liberia’s Section 12 of the Constitution was directly copied after the U.S. second amendment and the provision allows Liberia citizens to exercise their constitutional right to have arms.

He said after those years, a 1956 amendment was made but before 1986 the country had already experienced lots when it comes to misuse of weapon.

So in that year, the possessing of small arms became a serious issue in the constitutional review, and after the crafting of the constitution in 1986, it took away the right of people to possess arms illegally.

Commissioner Grigsby cited that there was a statute of the Legislature in 1956 which allowed people to register their weapon with the National Police, then there was a statute when the former President Ellen Johnson issued an Executive Order in 2006, prohibiting civilians from possessing illegal arms.

He further stated if you read the 2006 Executive Order the only exception was granted to hunters to possess firearms for only hunting activities

“As we launch the meeting today, those of you who have firearms in your possession you have to realize that you are in violation of the laws or you are committing an act that the arms laws consider illegal,” he warned.

Commissioner Grigsby added: “We look forward to the day regardless of who you are, the enforcement agency will prosecute you for violation.”

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