ABUJA: The Federal Government has tasked the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC to upscale intelligence gathering and response in order to effectively tackle the country’s growing security challenges.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja during the decoration of 113 newly promoted Commandants of the Corps.
At the ceremony which also featured the decoration of the corps’ National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Zaid Afolabi, to the rank of Assistant Commandant of Corps, the minister stressed that prompt and actionable intelligence is critical to strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture.
Represented by the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Corrections, Fire and Immigration Services Board CDCFIB, retired MajorGeneral Abdulmalik Jubril, the minister commended the NSCDC for its role in enhancing national security through the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure, as well as lives and property.
He urged the service to “brace up and upscale prompt intelligence in the discharge of its statutory mandate” to confront emerging threats to peace and national development.
The minister said the promotion of the senior officers was merit-based and aimed at boosting morale across the services under the Interior Ministry, noting that all the services had previously suffered stagnation in career progression.
He assured personnel that the board was ready to approve requests that would translate into outstanding performance and greater diligence to duty.
Reflecting on the additional responsibility of providing protection for Very Important Personalities (VIPs), recently extended to the NSCDC, Tunji-Ojo charged the newly promoted officers and the entire personnel of the corps to justify the confidence reposed in the service by President Bola Tinubu, describing the new mandate as a call to higher professionalism, discipline and commitment.
Earlier, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, urged the newly promoted officers to embrace their leadership responsibilities by mentoring their subordinates and leading by example.
He assured them that redeployment would be carried out promptly, while cautioning against lobbying for postings, stressing that merit and performance would strictly guide the process under his administration.
Speaking on behalf of the promoted officers, Commandant Ekanem Ikponmwosa Ekpenyong pledged their continued commitment to integrity, professionalism and adherence to the oath of allegiance, assuring that they would discharge their duties in line with the corps’ statutory mandate.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service and the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, while representatives of the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of the Air Staff, the Inspector General of Police and the Director General State Services were present, underscoring continued inter-agency collaboration in tackling insecurity.
