By Mohammed Mohammed
The Federal Government has charged the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to immediately develop a robust scheme for school protection across the country.
This is with the view to ensure the safety of children everywhere, especially within the school environs, from the incessant attacks by kidnappers and armed men, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbeslola, has said.
The Minister gave the charge in his office in Abuja when he decorated Mr. Ahmed Audi, as the new Commandant-General of the NSCDC.
According to him: “children are a specially protected social category. They are innocent and at the same time vulnerable.
“They are as vulnerable to external circumstances as to their own wiles.”
Aregbesola who expressed sadness over the incessant spate of violations and kidnappings in schools urged the NSCDC to continue to work in synergy with other security agencies with a view to immediately restore peace and security in the country, particularly within the school environment.
In his speech titled “Your moment to be a Hero”, the Minister reminded the new Commandant-General that he is mounting the saddle of this great organization at a very critical time in our dear nation with challenging security situations.
He therefore informed him that it is going to be rough but that, as a motivational speaker once wrote, it is great challenges that produces heroes and men of history and thus advised him that he should continue to navigate diligently and triumphantly taking cognisance of the rigorous selection process that brought him into office, so as to ensure that he delivers on the mandate of the NSCDC in line with the policy thrust of the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration.
Aregbeslola further charged the leadership of the corps to develop a robust scheme that would not only check the menace in the schools but also ensure the protection of critical national assets, such as pipelines, electricity pylons, stations and cables, telecommunication mast, cables and installations.
“Another scheme, like the Agro Rangers, should also be developed to cover full agriculture and offer protection to all categories of farmers. Protecting crop farmers and pastoralists is a matter of national food security”, he said.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore assured that the Ministry will continue to support the agencies under it to ensure that they deliver on their respective mandates which is the provision of internal security and citizenship integrity.
In his response, the new Commandant-General assured that the Corps under his watch, will among others, improve on institutional wellness and also leverage on proactive intelligence gathering in its operations, as this would bring to the barest minimum the asymmetric war now going on in the country.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for giving him the opportunity to serve and commended his administration for its avowed commitment to the safety of lives and property. He pledged the NSCDC’s total commitment to the realization of its mandate.