By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Tuesday reassured the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its determination to work with other security agencies with a view to providing the needed security for peaceful conduct of elections in the country.
The Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Mr Ahmed Audi, gave the pledge when he paid a courtesy visit on INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in his office in Abuja on Tuesday.
Audi also assured INEC that the security agency was fully preparing to give INEC the needed security support for the peaceful conduct of Anambra governorship election, scheduled for Nov. 6, especially in terms of deployment of security personnel.
Mr Audi explained that he was at INEC headquarters to familiarize himself with Yakubu as well to renew the agency collaboration with INEC in ensuring that adequate security were provided for Nigerians and INEC for peaceful elections.
The NSCDC boss promised that the corps would strengthen and encourage its personnel to continue to protect INEC facilities nationwide, especially in the South East and South South, where the commission’s facilities had been largely attacked in recent times.
His words, “If you recall, the NSCDC is about getting to two decades and by our Act we are involved also in elections in this country.
“We are part of the members of the election monitoring committee and we partake in election activities.
“We have come to strengthen the relationship and familiarize myself with him (Yakubu) because we are working for Nigeria,” Audi said.
The commandant-general said that NSCDC had re-strategised its process for election security.
He also pledged that men of the NSCDC would continue to provide security for INEC for the success of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) saying men of the agency will be deployed to the physical registration centres for the exercise across the country.
Audi further assured that the service had put in place adequate preparations for Lere Federal Constituency by-election in Kaduna state holding by weekend, adding that he would be there to also monitor the election.
He advised Nigeria to be security need security conscious, as the nation was passing through a new phase of insecurity.
According to him, “Nigeria is passing through a new phase of conflict and that conflict is called asymmetric conflict.
“We are not conversant with it in this country. It is the same conflict that dealt with a lot of countries for decades before they are able to strategize and find solutions of dealing with it.
“Asymmetric war that operate as gorilla type of war. So, we need to be mindful of how we move because these guys are serious.
“As you drive even on the streets don’t wind down your glass, wind up and always use your central lock,” he advised.
He, however, assured Nigerians that NSCDC, under his leadership, has been restrategised to offer them protection in the face of insecurity.
His words, “now there is a renewed vigour and we have come up with triangular formation of dealing with insecurity.
“First we are going to train and retrain our personnel to get interdem with the type of conflict we are facing now.
“We are also going to promote professionalism and discipline. Once you put these triangular formation in to an organization you will see productive,” Audi said.
In his remarks, Yakubu congratulated Audi on his appointment and restated NSCDC’s commitment to the service of Nigeria and existing partnership between the service and INEC in the best interest of Nigeria’s democracy.
Yakubu, “You (NSCDC) as an agency, and a member of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICES), the NSCDC you are playing critical role in the whole gamut of electoral activities in Nigeria.
“One of the critical roles of NSCDC is the protection of critical national assets and the assets of INEC are critical national assets.
“You have been playing that role very well. On behalf of the Commission I want to extend our appreciation to you”, he said
Yakubu disclosed that INEC consulted widely with security agencies and other stakeholders before the commission decided to commence its physical registration at its state and local government offices at 811 locations before it devolved to over 2,600 centres planned for the exercise.
