Firearm Amendment Bill Debated in Senate

Michael Peyrefitte

We have been telling you about the Firearm Amendment Bill 2023 that will make way for the establishment of a Firearms and Ammunition License Control Board. That bill was finally brought to the Senate today. The board will be responsible for the issuance of firearm and ammunition licenses to qualified persons. It will be made up of three persons, a magistrate, a representative of the Commissioner of Police and a chief executive officer. Here is more from the debate.

Michael Peyrefitte, Lead Opposition Senator

“This bill may look simple but It is anything but simple. It is the government trying to appear to do something without actually doing anything, which is about ninety nine percent of the bills you have brought to the national assembly. You have essentially, what the government is saying is that they no longer have the confidence in their beloved commissioner to issue gun license on his own. The government nuh trust the man no more. So you want to replace him with a board which on the face of it sounds good. So you take away the commissioner, put in a board but the minister would have the same power over the board that he had over the commissioner, then the minister will appoint the board. What are we doing here? The board shall be appointed by the minister and comprised of the following member who has experience, training or expertise in the area of firearms. So the following persons must have training and expertise. Number one, a representative of the commissioner of police, fine but dah the minister wah pick who will represent the commissioner, two, a representative of the magistracy. So are there magistrates who have expertise and training and experience in firearms. A chief executive officer of the government, a CEO, which CEO has training and expertise in firearm? At least unu have the decency to remove the CEO in the Ministry of Home Affairs. So you broaden it to any CEO that the minister will pick.”