New Democrat (Monrovia)
12 May 2011
The approval of a draft bill from the Executive, being debated at the House of Representatives, could see the merger and consolidation of national security organizations which are deemed to be performing overlapping functions at astronomical costs to the government.
According to Mr. Isaac Redd, director of Press and Public Affairs at the House, the draft bill, titled “security reform and intelligence act of 2010,” targets the Liberia National Police, Drug Enforcement Agency, National Bureau of Investigation, National Security
Agency, Ministry of National Security, National Fire Service, the VIP protection squad, and Special Security Service.
Mr. Redd said the draft bill which addresses “new measures to produce a responsive security configuration in a democratic environment,” was expected for public hearing on Wednesday.
It is seeking merger and consolidation of many of these security bodies with overlapping functions so as to reduce the high administrative and operational costs involved in running them.
Meanwhile, observers said the DEA’s deputy director for administration, Mr. Henry Shaw, has already begun lobbying at the Capitol for the envisaged security sector reform not to touch that agency.
“Yes we are against it; we don’t want this bill to be passed by the Legislature because the role of the DEA is very crucial to our national security.
“If this agency is dissolved, the fight against the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country would suffer a serious setback,” Mr. Shaw told this paper Tuesday at the Capitol.
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Multiple Security Outfits to Be Sliced