From Charity Nwakaudu and Ajiri Daniels, Abuja
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in accordance with the provisions of the NSCDC Act, 2003 as amended in 2007, has granted twenty operation licenses to new private security practitioners at the Corps National Headquarters in Abuja, after scaling the hurdles of scrutiny and screening by the corps and other security agencies concerned.
The Commandant General of the Corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi charged the new operators to contribute their quota to the fight against insecurity by providing credible intelligence and information to the Corps and other security agencies.
He said following the spread of insecurity in the country, all hands must be on deck to proffer solutions to the security challenges confronting the nation.
The NSCDC boss also admonished the new operatives to make the most of the license approval to enhance the current internal security architecture through value-added operations and professional conduct intended to offer solutions to the countless modern security challenges the nation is currently facing.
“While we appreciate your business instincts, note that the licence is not for business profit alone but an opportunity for you to contribute your own quota to the security of this nation. It is not a matter of choice but a call to national duty which must be honoured. Therefore, where you have your guards is an extension of the NSCDC outfit because you are not only to secure the facilities but also repost to the corps all suspicious activities and movements.
“We all know that the nation is going through various conflicts which are asymmetric in nature, hence, everybody must come together to work together because no Service has a monopoly of strategy. You must turn in intelligence report on monthly basis anyone that is of urgent importance must be turned in immediately as companies shall be held responsible for any breach of security that occurs in their jurisdiction,” Audi said.
The CG while congratulating the new entrants into the private security industry also reminded them of the huge role they have to play in combating insecurity without breaching any extant regulations.
As the sole regulator of the sector, Dr Audi warned the private guard company operatives to abstain from illegal duties, possession of fire arms under any guise and the use of any uniform similar to that of an existing security agency. He reiterated that the corps has initiated a data profiling system to sanitize the sector by preventing the enlistment of miscreants, hoodlums, vagabonds, foreigners and other polarizing figures that may network within terror elements to compromise the country’s peace and security.
According to the CG, “It is not our intension to make the process cumbersome but we want to issue licences to people who have track records of being impeccable in character. I want to believe that you will continue to be of high integrity and by extension good ambassadors of the Corps. We shall not hesitate to wield the big hammer on any company whose Director departs from the good character which form the basis for the grant of these licences.”
Dr Audi further appealed to the various operators to look seriously into the welfare of their guards in order to discourage them from compromising standards.