Abuja: Dr. Olusola Odumosu, the commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has lauded Private Guard Companies (PGCs) for complying with licence renewals and the training of guards. The commandant gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Odumosu stated that the PGCs were required to promptly renew licences to avoid their offices being sealed. The FCT command, he emphasized, was focused on regulating the industry to enhance intelligence gathering and secure the capital. Regular training and retraining of private guards had been ongoing in the command, given that the NSCDC had the statutory duty of regulating the operations of PGCs across the country.
Odumosu noted that while the turnout for licence renewal and training had remained impressive, there were still some defaulters who had refused to regularly renew their licences and train their guards. The command, he vowed, would not relent in going after defaulters to ensure compliance and the smooth running of PGCs in the FCT.
‘It is our mandate to train, monitor and regulate PGCs, so training them is sacrosanct and we do that quarterly. We do this in batches, making sure that all private security companies in the FCT are better trained and prepared to complement the efforts of security agencies,’ Odumosu said.
Odumosu detailed that the guards were trained in intelligence gathering, self-defence, report writing, and other security tactics. ‘There is training designed for the guards, operational managers as well as the Chief Executive Officers. During the stakeholders’ meetings, we rub minds on the various challenges facing the industry and ways to solve some of the identified problems,’ he stated.
He, however, acknowledged challenges facing the command, including shortages of operational vehicles/motorcycles and gadgets. Despite these shortfalls, Odumosu stressed that the command had been able to effectively deliver on its mandate because there was no excuse for failure.
‘We are appealing for more vehicles and motorcycles for patrols to enable us to carry out more regular and effective surveillance of the city centre and its suburbs. That is not something we can run with the number of vehicles we have as Abuja is very big and in most cases, because these criminals understand this challenge they take advantage of our setbacks,’ he explained.
Odumosu added that there was a need for adequate two-way transmitters for radio messaging in areas with poor network during operations. ‘There are some places or times they will go into the bushes in the course of surveying critical infrastructure and will need backup, but they cannot communicate,’ he said.
He concluded by wishing officers and men of his command a Happy Workers’ Day and applauded them for their dedication to ensuring adequate protection of lives, Critical National Infrastructure, and Assets in the territory.