By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has explained why it has been difficult for the agency to effectively safeguard critical national assets and infrastructure across the country.
The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Mr Ahmed Audi, said the 63,000 personnel of the corps were not enough to tackle crude oil theft and others in the country.
According to him, more personnel is needed to carry out its statutory mandate, including the fight against crude oil theft and disaster management.
The NSCDC Commandant General who was speaking in Port Harcourt when he paid a working visit to the Rivers State Command, said he remains committed to repositioning the corps as a world-class elite organisation.
He said the government and the public trust the agency so much that it needs to justify its existence by discharging assigned duties in accordance with the statutory mandate.
“The duty that the government assigned to us is very enormous, herculean, and tasking. Provision of safety and security for critical national assets and infrastructure is not an easy job. If you look at the mapping that we did, the various categories of assets and critical infrastructure are very huge, and then our number is few. We are just 63,000 so it is not easy,” he explained.
“Even from the vandalisation of pipelines alone, we have nationwide mostly in the Niger Delta over 1,881 vandalisation spots where bad guys went to puncture pipes and are siphoning oil. So, if you want to assign the number of personnel in each you will see that even the CG will go and guard the pipeline,” he said.
The NSCDC while charging personnel to be dedicated to their assigned duties, said, “The protection of critical national assets and infrastructure must be given utmost priority because this is what we are paid for, and your unwavering commitment is needed without compromise.
“The economy of our nation rests on the critical assets and these must be safeguarded and secured from economic saboteurs.”
He also commended the River State Government for the recent donation of 10 operational vehicles which he officially commissioned for use by the command.