Sodiq Oyeleke
2 February 2022
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The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has reinstated the security aides of a Member of the House of Representatives, Shina Peller.
The PUNCH had reported that NSCDC withdrew the personnel attached to the lawmaker representing lseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/lwajowa Federal Constituency in Oyo State on Wednesday.
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.
But NSCDC Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, reversed the withdrawal of the security aides in a statement issued Wednesday evening.
The statement was titled, ‘CG frowns at withdrawal of officials assigned to Member of the House of Representatives, orders reinstatement’.
Signed by the NSCDC’s spokesperson, Odumosu Olusola, the statement read, “The leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has dismissed as unauthorised and without recourse to the Corps constituted authority, a letter signed and sent to a Member of the House of Representatives, Hon Shima Peller, informing him of the withdrawal of officials of the NSCDC assigned to him.
“Not only did the officer in question lack the power to do such, he was also found to have acted on his whims without clearance.
“The Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has therefore directed a reinstatement of the withdrawn officers with a compliment of necessary courtesies to the Honourable Member.”
In an earlier letter 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.”
Peller had sought 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.
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.security aides