Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gaba Muhammad, has revealed how his organisation averted what could have led to a serious breach in the country’s internal security by simply chasing away quacks and some “dubious foreigners” from the industry.
The Corps helmsman however expressed the readiness of his office to partner with Blueprint Newspapers in ensuring national sensitisation of Nigerians across board.
Speaking at the national headquarters of the Corps Thursday in Abuja, CG Gana said the mandate of the Corps worldwide is in the area of disaster management, rescue, relieve, rehabilitation, integration and reintegration of disaster victims be it man made or natural disasters, adding that the Nigerian government has, however, added other responsibilities, which he said the organisation “is doing well and up to the task.”
On what his leadership did to sanitize the Private Guard Companies (PGCs), Gana said: “I want to tell you that we have done well in Private Guard industry. When we came on board, the private guard industry was full of quacks with some foreigners, in particular the Lebanese that were using it for their dubious businesses but we established some clauses that if you going to register PGC you must be a Nigerian because it has to do with our internal security, so, foreigners have no business with that.
“Secondly, we said let us give this sector a professional torch because in those days, someone will just come because is a director general somewhere, people were going into the industry because of the goods of the industry and not for the good of it but we said no.
“We said before you register a Private Guard Company you must have a retired military or paramilitary on board, so that the paramilitary officer will guide other directors. So, we have done very well in that industry, we have sanitised the PGC business.”
According to the NSCDC boss, request from other government Ministries and agencies for the services of NSCDC staff are increasing daily, to this end, a department like Agro-rangers have been established to provide security in farms and for the investors.
While justifying the need to protect farms, Gana said “the best security for every nation is food security, if there is no food there is problem even in the house,” assuring that his leadership in NSCDC will live up to the expectations of ensuring internal security and protection of national assets and critical infrastructures.
Speaking earlier, Managing Editor of Blueprint Newspapers who led the 4-Man delegation, Mr. Clement Oluwole, commended the Corps for justifying the confidence repose on the organisation by Nigerians.
According to him, without NSCDC, Nigeria would have been grossly overwhelmed.
“I personally have been following the trajectory of the organisation. When the NSCDC started nobody took it serious, some people even did everything possible to see that it didn’t grow but now its benefits are laudable to Nigerians.”
Oluwole, however, urged the organisations to keep up with its kind of human face services to the Nation.
