The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Lagos State Command on Monday appealed to Federal Government to provide vehicles and logistics to the command to enhance their performance.
Mr Ayinla Makinde, the Commandant, Lagos Command of the Corps made the appeal during the Passing Out Parade of Officer and Men who had undergone the two-week training in Badagry, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training programme was tagged: ‘Personnel Development Training’.
Makinde said that the command needed more vehicles to ensure they deliver on the objectives of the Corps, which is to secure and arrest.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to assist the Corps with vehicles and logistics to aid our performance.
“We are also seeking for synergy with community leaders, religious leaders and trade unions to ensure that we are giving information on any happenings.
“We have created synergy with sister agencies in order to assist us with information to reduce rate of vandalism of the nation pipelines,” he said.
Makinde said that the activities of the Corps in the state had led to reduction in pipelines vandalism.
“Civil Defence is given the responsibility of 24 hours’ surveillance and protection of critical national assets and infrastructure which pipelines is one of them.
“Others are railway station, cable station, Federal Government properties, State properties and local government too.
“We have good relationship with host community to ensure that necessary information are at our disposal as quickly as possible to deal with vandals,” he said.
Makinde said that the command arrested 20 vandals between Jan. and July, adding that the vandals were arrested from the pipeline Right of Way, Waterways and those involved in adulteration,” he said.
The Divisional Officer, Badagry Division, NSCDC, Mrs Abiola Jimoh, said the officers of the command had gone through rigorous training exercise from both internal and external facilitators.
According to her, this is for purpose of building capacity and enhancing their performance.
“Part of the measure put in place by the NSCDC is what you are seeing today by training and retraining our personnel so that they can stand the test of time,” she said.
NAN reports that men of the division, who underwent the training, demonstrated some of the training exercise which includes handling of guns and military marches and salutes.
Awards were given to facilitators from sister agencies and those from host community.
The official of the sister agencies, which includes Nigerian Army, Airforce, Immigration Service, Police, Customs Service, and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were present at the event.
Some traditional rulers also attended the event.
