Oshiomhole calls for review of NSCDC’s name

The lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, has called for a review of the name of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Oshiomhole made the call on Friday in Abuja at the unveiling of the NSCDC FCT Commandant, Dr. Olusola Odumosu’s book, titled “Nigeria’s Security Dilemma: Rivalries and Implications.”

He said the call for the change of name of the paramilitary agency was imperative in view of the word “Civil” in its name, adding that it implied that personnel of the corps were not meant to bear arms.

He said the NSCDC, saddled with the responsibility of being civil while protecting the nation’s Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, interfaces with hardened criminals in the line of duty.

The lawmaker therefore questioned how the operatives were expected to be civil when combating vandals, illegal miners and criminals who bear weapons.

“To be civil means you should not bear firearms, so if you do not bear arms to deal with people involved in illegal oil bunkering or the destruction of public property, which you have been asked to protect, will you then preach while they carry guns?

“If you want to be civil, how do you deal with hardened criminals? If these criminals carry sophisticated weapons, you fighting them should not carry less sophisticated weapons.

“When I see service chiefs holding meetings and I don’t see the Commandant General (CG) of Civil Defence, I am like, there is something missing,” he said.

He noted that no single security agency could deal with insecurity at both the sub-national and national levels alone.

Oshiomhole said that, in tackling insecurity, it was imperative for Nigerians, including politicians and security agencies, to put aside their differences and understand that Nigeria is one.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu will continue to apply all measures necessary to ensure Nigeria is safe and that insecurity is reduced to the barest minimum.

The senator commended the author for speaking out through his book on how to tackle insecurity through effective synergy and information-sharing among security agencies.

“It is commendable that you put out your thoughts while in the system and not outside the system, as it is much more dangerous to speak truth to power,” he said.

Also speaking, security expert Prof. Tyor Terhemba, the reviewer of the book, said that Nigeria’s security challenges called for collective efforts towards combating banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other criminal activities.

“This is a time to have all hands on deck to collectively fight the enemies of the state; hence, it is not a time for rivalry but a time to be united,” he said.

Terhemba said that the book re-echoed the need for unity and synergy among security agencies, regional and international partnerships, areas of potential conflict, and the role of intelligence-sharing.

According to him, it also discusses political interference, ambiguous laws, accountability, security sector reforms, communication systems and other related issues.

Meanwhile, the author, Odumosu, said that the book looked at security from a holistic perspective, as there was a need for a united front.

“No one has a monopoly of wisdom or strategy, so there is a need to tackle insecurity from a common front.

“Obviously, there have been issues of unhealthy inter-agency rivalries, which have been a pain to coordinated national responses to our security challenges.

“I looked at it from the perspective that all security agencies must understand that we have the same goal, whether our mandates are interwoven or not.

“We have a collective responsibility to ensure peace and order in Nigeria,” Odumosu said.

The commandant reiterated that when security agencies continue to fight one another or see one another as competitors rather than as a united front, a lot of work will still need to be done.