Still on the arms deal
Lots of apprehension is held of late in Sierra Leone about the Government’s recent procurement of a cache of arms and ammunitions to arm the police ahead of the November pools. With reference to the sensitivity of such development, the Sierra Leone police came in for a scolding for their recent past displays of unprofessional attitudes – especially, with their weapons handling motives.
The opposition has made a lot of hues regarding the issue to not allow the police to misjudge the use of those rifles. They have the Maada Bio September 9 stone busting experience in mind where an Okada rider, Abdulai and many others were shot dead with live rounds of bullets during the melee.
The police have another record where a colleague OSD Police gunned down another on a malice afore-thought revenge. Even the Muslim congress riot in October of 2006 indicted the police of highhandedness, and the situation lose rowed to wanton destructions and burning of police property in a fight back protect.
At the same time, the issue came with mixed allegations of procurement malpractices. Quantifications of the arms need and the variety type of ammunitions to procure comes to mind when one considers what needs the weapons are bought for. For example, the opposition are saying rubber bullet guns and steam canisters would have been preferred, if at all there should be need for the purchase of arms and ammunitions.
First and foremost, we want to believe that the importation of arms and ammunition may not be purposed for negative developments.
However, borrowing a leaf from what the Inspector General of Police and Office of National Security (ONS) have explained so far about the arms deal that is: “the creation of the forces and paramilitary units provides the need for the supply and use of arms and ammunitions”, it challenges the fact that manning the country’s security is easier done with weapons for both border security lapses and internal squabbles.
Perhaps the opposition’s argument on the variety of arms to buy for the right purpose and time is in place. What we rather need to know, however, is the need for special varieties and what has happened to the country’s last supply of arms and ammunitions. Since 2009, when the country last received arms import supply, it has never been in a war path.
Whether the need arise, or not, is not the problem here; rather the problem is how proficient the police would be in handling such offensive weapons which they have rights to handle in any case.
While the police have always maintained a deficient record in their misdeeds, we at Sierra Express Media need assurance from the police and office of National Security that these weapons, this time, are going to be handled professionally and efficiently for the right purpose by the police to safeguard and protect the lives and properties of the masses.
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