Why NSCDC should change its name: Oshiomhole

Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC-Edo), representing Edo North Senatorial District, has called for the name review of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

Oshiomhole made the appeal on Friday in Abuja, at the launch of a book by Dr Olusola Odumosu, Commander of the NSCDC FCT, titled “Nigeria’s Security Dilemma: Rivalries and Implications”.

He said the request to change the name of the paramilitary agency is imperative given the word “civilian” in it, adding that this implies that the force’s personnel are not intended to carry weapons.

He said the NSCDC has a responsibility to be civil while protecting the nation’s critical national resources and infrastructure while interfacing with hardened criminals in the line of duty.

The legislator then asked how operators are expected to behave in a civilized manner in the fight against vandals, illegal miners and armed criminals.

“Being civilized means you shouldn’t carry firearms, so if you don’t carry guns to confront people involved in illegal oil supply or destruction of public property you were asked to protect, will you 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 should not carry a less sophisticated weapon to fight them.

“When I see service chiefs holding meetings and I don’t see the commanding general (CG) of civil defense, I think: something is missing,” he said.

He noted that no single security agency could address insecurity at both subnational and national levels.

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

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

The senator commended the author for speaking, through his book, on how to address insecurity through effective synergy and sharing of communication among security agencies.

“It is commendable that you speak your mind while you are in the system and not outside the system because it is very dangerous to speak truth to power,” he said.

Furthermore, a security expert, prof. Tyor Terhemba, a reviewer of the book, said Nigeria’s security challenges require collective efforts to combat banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other forms of crime.

“This is the time to have all forces in place to collectively fight the enemies of the state, so it is not the time for rivalry but for being united,” he said.

Terhemba said the book echoes the need for unity, synergy between security agencies, regional and international partnerships, areas of potential conflict and the role of intelligence sharing.

According to him, there is also talk of political interference, ambiguous laws, accountability, security sector reforms, communication systems among other issues.

Meanwhile the author, Odumosu, said the book looks at security from a holistic perspective as a united front is needed.

“No one has a monopoly on wisdom or strategy, so we need to address insecurity from a common front.

“Obviously there have been issues of unhealthy rivalries between security agencies which have posed a problem for coordinated national responses to our security challenges.

“I saw it from the perspective that all security agencies can understand that we must have the same objective whether our mandates are intertwined or not.

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

The commander reiterated that if security agencies continue to fight each other or see each other as competitors rather than a united front, much work remains to be done.