One cannot over emphasise the importance of security in any setting you find humans, properties and resources of any kind, hence the major responsibility of government is the provision of security for the protection of lives and properties.
With the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) established in 2003 to further act as a catalyst for the advancement of security apparatus in Nigeria, the agency’s contributions to the security system in Nigeria can be simply described as super useful to say the least, as they are tasked with achieving the security mandate of the Government to the citizens at all cost.
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The determining factor of leading these security agencies in any society shall be dictated meritoriously, and the NSCDC is not an exception.
This must include acquiring the technical know-how of the job and executing it satisfactorily for absolute security of the citizens.
Politics can be played in all angles of governance for the benefit of democracy but not with security.
If the security of a nation is compromised and toyed with, then no meaningful progress can be achieved.
Peace and security are the bedrock of social, economic and indeed political success of any advanced nation in the world.
Inasmuch as it is said that there is some bit of politics in all that we do, either in the family, workplace and life in general, security has also been an exception as to where politics should be played.
The NSCDC has had leaders from different backgrounds performing at different levels and capacities to the service of the fatherland.
The history of NSCDC can never be complete without the mention of Abdullahi Muhammadu Gana, the present Commandant General of NSCDC, who assumed office on 17 July 2015 as appointed by President Muhamadu Buhari (GCFR).
One cannot deny the apparent fact that the leadership style of Abdullahi Muhammadu Gana is one that has clearly shown that sincerity of purpose and a strong will to perform can be the difference between having your head above water level and having it below water level.
Sadly, nepotism and high-level impunity have been an ugly part of the Nigerian system as a whole has also found their way into the recruitment system of the NSCDC in the time past.
With a staff database that has over 4,500 persons from one section of the country, albeit from Ogun State alone, while 1,500 to the entire North, one can only simply perceive that all is not in the right perspective as per the recruitment system in the NSCDC, it is indeed safe to describe it as “national injustice”.
Thus glaringly in conflict with the provisions of Chapter 2 Fundamental Objectives & Directive Principles Of State Policy-viz;
(a)SECTIONS 13, (b)14(3) & (c)17(3) (a) of the 1999 CFRN and as well negates the Federal Character Principle.
With an attempt to ensure justice and equity in the recruitment scheme of the NSCDC by Abdullahi Muhammadu Gana, some ethnic jingoist at the higher leadership level with specific mention to the office of the Hon. Minister of Interior did not find the patriotic acts of Abdullahi Muhammadu Gana comfortable.
We might recall that the reappointment of Gana as the Commandant General of NSCDC was not without strong resistance from the Hon. Minister of Interior. Could this be an “Unfortunate Ethic Agenda”? We all still very vividly remember the frantic efforts made by the Hon. Minister of Interior at the time to ensure that a Western loyalist was installed as CG of NSCDC to enable them steer the affairs of the Corps come 2023.
In the words of Miles Davis, ‘’Time is not the main thing, time is the only thing”. Clearly, only time will bring to the fore the lurking political intentions of the major players in these shenanigans.
Nigeria as a nation cannot afford to use sensitive key security positions as a channel to show political strength, performance and performance alone shall be the basic criteria for appraisal of critical office holders.
In a bid to have a purposeful and fair recruitment process in the NSCDC we must also all condemn the centralization of aptitude test for applicants.
Travelling to another state for aptitude test is another form of disfranchising many Nigerians as very many applicants cannot afford transport fares to travel let alone accommodate and cater for themselves.
One can relate it with “Asking driving applicants to be computer literate before being entitled to a driver’s licence. As we all know by the Nigerian, driving license is the only qualification to drive a car in Nigeria”.
Putting into consideration the key performance indicators of Abdullahi Muhammadu Gana, it is therefore safe to say that the man is an achiever and a performer, who can only find room for improvement if given the opportunity.
His positive reforms in NSCDC sure deserves a chance to consolidate the giant strides he has initiated. A stitch in time saves nine!
Muhammadu M. Labo is the National Coordinator, Good Governance Coalition
