The commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Audi, has expressed displeasure over the attitude of some officers of the corps who have been found culpable in some of the reported cases of oil theft and vandalism.
Audi spoke on Friday at an emergency meeting with all states’ commandants and heads of anti-vandal units of the agency.
He said any officer guilty of compromise in the discharge of assigned duty will not be spared but dealt with accordingly because the service has no tolerance for mediocrity, laziness, nonchalance and incompetence and will therefore not hesitate to take appropriate action.
“Let me sound this note of warning that the corps has no place for mediocrity, laziness, nonchalance, or incompetence and will therefore not hesitate to take appropriate action. We have instituted a panel of inquiry regarding these reported cases and anybody found wanting and culpable, will be severely sanctioned.
As heads of anti-vandal units, you are expected to display a high sense of responsibility, commitment, loyalty and dedication to duty,” he said.
Audi warned that no matter one’s position in the society if found in any act of compromise regarding oil theft, that person is going to be severely punished according to the law as the corps is going to use its hammer on any person no matter his or her position if found to be involved in oil theft.
According to him, “We will not sit and watch if you are not living up to expectation because there is already a general perception that security agencies are also part of this unfortunate situation of oil theft, which is why this meeting has been summoned to make it categorically clear that anybody who is involved will not be spared but severely punished.
“We have our Standard Operating Procedure, (SOP), and our code of conduct and other rules in place which can be applied for sanctions so if you have the intent that you have joined the corps to make money by collaborating with oil thieves and illegal workers, we will resign you immediately because this corps is not for you and we are very serious about.”
“Today’s meeting is obviously not a day for speeches and rhetoric; I invited you here to register my displeasure and disappointment at the attitude to work by some heads of anti-vandal units and their squads.”
The CG said the president has directed that these issues be dealt with and that the corps has received the minister (Rauf Aregbesola), of the interior’s instruction that anybody caught sabotaging the effort of government must not go scot-free as there are indications that some officer are culpable.-
“There are indications that some of the anti-vandal units in some states have been found wanting in the discharge of their duties as the corps management has received reports of irresponsibility and connivance on the part of some of them hence, the imperative of summoning all heads of anti-vandal units nationwide,” Audi explained.
