The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has withdrawn the personnel attached to the lawmaker representing lseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/lwajowa Federal Constituency in Oyo State at the House of Representatives, Shina Peller.
The withdrawal of the personnel followed the introduction of a bill by Peller proposing to scrap the Corps and merge it with the Nigeria Police Force.
The lawmaker proposed the bill to the House via the National Security And Civil Defence Corps (Repeal and Transition) Bill 2022, which passed the first reading on Tuesday.
The bill seeks to repeal the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (Amendment) Act 2007, establish a transition management committee to superintend over the NSCDC, develop regulations and implement procedures for the transfer of assets and personnel of the corps to the Nigeria Police Force, and other related matters.
But in a letter to the lawmaker dated February 2, 2022, by the Head of Administration, Oyo State Command, Sotito Igbalawole, the Corps claimed that the withdrawal of the men was necessitated by “the urgent national need.”
The letter with reference number, NSCDC/OY/173/VOL.III/196, titled, ‘withdrawal of personnel,’ read, “Following the directive of the Commandant General on the necessity of the deployment of the command personnel for an urgent national security assignment; on behalf of the state commandant, I hereby withdraw all personnel attached to you.
“This is to meet up with the urgent national need. All inconvenience this might cause is highly regretted.”
In the bill, Peller noted that “fragmentation of security resources across multiple competing agencies is counterproductive.”
The lawmaker also noted that the mandate of the NSCDC “has now become a duplication of the Nigeria Police Force,” adding that this has led to avoidable conflicts.
Peller stated, “Every single function of the NSCDC can be done or is being done by the Nigeria Police Force,” stressing that the annual budget of the NSCDC is almost N100 billion.
“The assets and personnel of the NSCDC will be absorbed by the Nigeria Police. So, no loss of jobs,” he noted.
The NSCDC, which is a voluntary organisation, was converted to a national security outfit by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
However, the NSCDC spokesman, Shola Odumosu, disowned the letter to the lawmaker, saying, “the letter is strange to us,” noting that he was not aware of it.
PUNCH
