‘NSCDC officers dying in silence’

By Israel Abiodun

IT is pertinent to note that officers and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) are dying in silence over issues confronting the corps that need the immediate intervention of the Commandant-General and by extension the Minister of Interior, who supervises the activities of the ministry.

The issues are:

1. Non-payment of arrears due to officers: There are backlogs of arrears ranging from promotion of personnel that are yet to be settled. For instance, officers who were elevated from level 7 to 8 due to the policy of the Federal Government on abolishment of dichotomy are yet to be paid their full entitlement.

These categories of officers in Fire Service, Immigration Service and the Correctional Service have been paid the arrears accruing to them.

2. Lack of capacity building and relevant training: No relevant on the job trainings or capacity building for officers and men of the corps, thereby crippling the potentials of officers.
3. Poor monitoring of the corps by the Ministry of Interior: The Ministry of Interior which happens to be the one overseeing the activities of the corps pays no attention to the day-to-day running of the organisation as it is being done to the Immigration Service and the Nigeria Correctional Service.
4. Poor performance in the core areas of duty of the corps – As a security outfit whose duties are well spelt out in the Act, which includes but not limited to: monitoring of private guard company etc., is under-performing in its core duties. There is need for leaders to wake-up to their assigned responsibility.
5. Staggering promotions: Promotion is based on who-knows-who. It is not based on merit. It is being abused by the top echelon.

In addition, the dichotomy between the holders of HND and BSc graduate that was abolished in 2017 by the Federal Government has not been fully implemented. The former Minister said harmonisation Committee would be set up to fashion out the ranking. However, none has been done as we speak. It is flagrant disobedience to constituted authority!

We sincerely call on the Honorable Minister of Interior to quickly wade into these issues bedeviling the corps to save it from further deterioration.