About 80% Nigerian Schools Unsafe: Civil Defence Corps Chief

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi has lamented that about 80 percent of schools in the country are not well secured.

Speaking at Commandant General’s Maiden Conference, the CG said it was sad that out of the 81,000 schools across the country, 62,000 are not well secured.

At the occasion, which was also used to roll out operational vehicles and laying the foundation of 200 housing units for junior and intermediate officers of the Corps, Audi charged the officers to be alive to their responsibility of safeguarding lives and properties.

He said: “We will continue to work assiduously and effectively collaborate and synergize with sister agencies to evolve new strategies to effectively respond and address the increasing wave of insecurity in the country.”

He noted that the direction of with the topic of the lecture, “Prevailing National Security Challenges; The Role of Civil Defence Corps in Safeguarding Lives and Properties”, was a pointer to the Corps determination towards actualizing government objectives of a safe and secure Nigeria. The topic will attempt to X-ray and review the current security challenges facing the country, articulate strategies to be employed to tackle it and the role of the Civil Defence Corps in this direction.”

He said: “We are determined to develop and sufficiently equip the Corps’s personnel with relevant skill and knowledge to enhance their capacity to effectively deliver on the Corps’ mandate.”

Audi however said government cannot be wholly saddled with the task of securing the nation, he said: “We therefore intend to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to invest in securing our environment by providing equipment support and training for Corps’ personnel among others, towards guaranteeing our collective safety.

The Guest Speaker, Professor of History at the Nasarawa State University, Prof. Adoyi Onoja lamented that there is no hope for the security under the present arrangement.

He said: “The National security has failed, is failing and will continue to fail until there is a reconstruction of the security system.”

Onoja there is urgent need to reconstruct the Nigerian state for its citizens to understand the fundamentals of nationality.

He said the present security architecture was not built for the nation and no matter the investment without restructuring will continue to be in crisis.

Onoja said security goes beyond crime fighting and is all embrace and every aspect of the society including the family has a part to play.

Michael Olugbode

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