By Miriam Humbe
The Federal Government has re-affirmed its commitment to implement the tenets of the Biological Weapons Convention by not developing, producing, acquiring or retaining biological weapons in line with the international community’s efforts to address the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, made the disclosure at the Stakeholders Forum on Implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention.
Segun Imohiosen, the Director, Information & Public Relations in the Office of the SGF revealed this in a statement signed on Wednesday.
The forum was organised by the National Authority on Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions (NAC&BWC) in the Office Of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in Abuja.
SGF, who was represented at the event by the Senior Technical Assistant to the SGF, Prof. Bolaji Babatunde said that Nigeria, being a signatory to the Biological Weapons Convention on 10 July, 1972, is committed to abide by the Biological Weapons Convention which stipulates that no states parties should develop, produce, acquire or retain biological weapons.
In furtherance to its commitment to implement the dictates of the Convention, he stated that the Federal Government through the National Authority on Chemical & Biological Weapons Convention (NAC&BWC) had set up an Inter-Ministerial Council (IMC).
The Inter-Ministerial Committee which comprised over 42 members drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Organised Private Sectors and the Academia was charged with the responsibility for providing requisite policy guidance and direction on issues relating to Biological Weapon Convention implementation through collaboration and cross-fertilisation of ideas.
Speaking earlier, Chief of the Biological Weapon Convention Implementation Support Unit in Geneva, Mr Daniel Feakes, expressed satisfaction on the commitment of the Federal Government in the comprehensive implementation of the Biological Weapon Convention which has helped in reducing the proliferation of small arms and other dangerous weapons that may pose threats to citizens.
The Director-General/CEO of National Bio-safety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Agnes Yemisi Asagbra thanked the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for his immense support to the Agency in the discharge of its statutory obligations, assuring its poise to ensure the bio-security of the nation.
