A group of human rights organizations, Coalition of Civil Society Networks in Nigeria and the Diaspora has written a strongly worded petition to President Muhammadu Buhari demanding a complete reform of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, insisting that the petition was in line with the coalition’s social responsibility of promoting accountability, transparency and good governance.
The petition, dated October 28, 2021, and signed by the Coalition’s leader, Zakari Hashimu, was routed to the President through the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
Reading the petition at a press briefing during one of the Coalition’s peaceful protests at the National Assembly, Abuja, Hashimu insisted that the immediate reform of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, is imperative to conform with global best practices and standard.
Lamenting that the form the NSCDC is in now falls below universal standard, Hashimu recalled that on the 5th of October, 2021, “we took a similar peaceful protest to the headquarters of the NSCDC, demanding for the immediate sack of the Corps’ Commandant General and proper reforms in NSCDC under his stewardship.”
He added, “Today, we are here at the National Assembly, Abuja to present before distinguish and honourable members of the National Assembly, the need to scrap and reform the NSCDC!”
The Coalition leader stated that the reasons behind his group’s demands include: “Worried by the current insecurity in the country, the Federal Government should commence moves aimed at amending the Act setting up the NSCDC, because there has been an enormous public dissatisfaction on the conflicting roles of the Nigerian Police and the NSCDC and also the misplacement of mandate and job racketeering going on in the NSCDC.
“This outcry by citizens demands attention and immediate actions for reforms and amendment of the Act establishing the NSCDC.
“Nigeria has witnessed two economic recessions and increased rate of insecurity within the period of this administration, despite the huge amount of financial support to security agencies. This is not fair to the President, who has been making great efforts along with the entire citizenry. This economic situation calls for the government to merge the NSCDC with the Nigerian Police Force so as to reduce the excessive cost of governance and improve the shortage man power of the Nigerian Police, whose mandates are clearly defined and accessible to citizens unlike that of the NSCDC.”
Hashimu averred that the NSCDC Act, if amended and reformed, “would review the current security situation in the country, examine the level of risk to critical assets and infrastructure, and find ways of working together to safeguarding them.”
Against this backdrop, the National Security Adviser, NSA, according to the petition, should, as a matter of urgency summit necessary recommendations and advice to the President appropriately on the outcry by Nigerians to scrap and reform the NSCDC and merge it with the Nigerian Police Force.
He said, “How can a security organization like the NSCDC publicly display arms purchased to fight insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other social related crimes? This action clearly shows that the NSCDC is incapacitated and lacks professionalism to fight crimes!”
The petitioners equally used the opportunity of the protest to call the attention of the Chief of Staff to President Buhari not to make himself or his office available to people boasting in public domain that they own the Chief of Staff to Mr. President; hence they can do and undo, assuring all and sundry that the country is bigger than any individual and that Nigeria belongs to everybody and belongs to nobody as well.
On the alleged job racketeering in the NSCDC, the Coalition therefore demanded for proper investigation on recruitments processes in the NSCDC, expressing the suspicion that “in recent times in most Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, money is now used in getting appointment letters!”
The petition read further that the allegation “is public outcries by many Nigerian youth who sell hard earn family and private properties to seek employment in the NSCDC and other government agencies with no assurances of securing such jobs!”
The Coalition further alleged that some agencies go as far as issuing fake appointment letters to unsuspecting Nigerians, signed by the number one authority in the agency, regretting that “it is no longer news here in the public domain that the NSCDC is at the fore front of the agencies that practises such with impunity!”
Thanking President Buhari for his relentless pursuit and support for security agencies, the Coalition expressed the delight that “this has however demonstrated the President’s willingness and commitment to addressing the rising security challenges confronting us as a nation and we would continue to rally necessary support for President Buhari to make him succeed.”
The petitioners reasoned that “with the recent economic instability, the Federal Government can no longer continue to fund the NSCDC, which has failed to live up to its responsibility, and provide guards to VIPs and elites, while its primary responsibility suffers setback and abuse on a daily basis!”
While insisting that it is no longer advisable for government to continue to fund a security organization which internally generated revenue, IGR, via the above mentioned runs into billions of naira and yet don’t remit to government coffers, the Coalition considered such a huge waste of resources and tax payers’ money, while the Nigerian Police suffer setback from lack of enough resources in carrying out its mandates.”
In conclusion, the Coalition thereby passed a vote of confidence in the NSA, the Nigerian Police Force and the Inspector General of Police for their gallantry efforts in promoting dialogue, peace and stability, appealing to President Buhari to double more resources and manpower for the Nigerian Police Force.
The Coalition added, “We equally pass similar vote of confidence on other sister security agencies, like the Department of State Security Services, DSS, and the Nigerian Army for intelligence and prompt operations.”
The group also vowed to take similar solidarity protest to the Ministry of Interior “to register our position and we shall continue to work under this platform of Coalition of Civil Society Network to ensure that Nigeria succeeds in her quest to restore the confidence the system has lost in the Nigerian youths.”
