By Muhammad Sabiu
A bill in the House of Representatives has been raised to abolish the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Shina Peller (APC, Oyo) sponsored the measure, which was read for the first time on Tuesday. It proposes repealing the NSCDC Act of 2007 and transferring the agency’s staff and assets to the Nigeria Police Force.
Mr Peller proposes, according to the bill’s description, to establish a transition management committee to oversee the NSCDC, write regulations, and implement processes for the transfer of the Corps’ assets and employees to the Nigeria Police Force.
Mr Peller claims that the NSCDC’s expanded functions are a duplication of police mandates, noting that “Fragmentation of security resources across multiple competing agencies is counterproductive.
“The mandate of the NSCDC has expanded that it has now become a duplication of the Nigeria Police Force. This has led to avoidable conflicts.
“Every single function of the NSCDC can be done or is being done by the Nigeria Police Force”. He added that” it is a “waste of scarce resources which has an annual budget of almost 100 billion.”
Mr Peller noted that “the assets and personnel of the NSCDC will be absorbed by the Nigeria Police, hence, no loss of job.”