By Chris Njoku
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has charged its newly recruited officials in Cross River to see their recruitment as an opportunity to serve their fatherland.
The charge was given by Commandant Charles Brown, Commandant NSCDC, Cross River Command on Friday during the passing out parade of 78 newly recruited officers of the corps.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the passing out parade of the officers coincided with the annual World Civil Defence Day Celebration with the theme: “honour heroes and promote safety skills.”
READ ALSO | UNICAL awards scholarships to 34 undergraduates with over 4.0 CGPA
Brown said the recruitment of the 78 officers became necessary as the nation was going through a lot of security challenges hence the need for more security personnel to carry out the task of securing the nation.
According to him, the 78, 2023 recruits of the corps in Cross River were in addition to the 170 officers recruited in 2019 and were all indigenes of the state.
“While this is another way of creating jobs for the teaming youths in Cross River, I admonish the graduates to see their recruitment as a call to duty and an opportunity to render service to their fatherland,” he said.
Speaking further, the commandant said following the theme of World Civil Defence Day, they were reminded not to forget or allow the efforts and sacrifices of the heroes’ past to be in vain.
READ ALSO | Hardship: I am not complaining – Tinubu
On his part, one of the newly recruited officers, Peter Bassey said it was a hectic six months for them as they underwent the training adding that he was delighted getting this far.
Bassey appealed for more synergy among security agencies in the nation noting that inter-agency communication and collaboration among agencies was poor.
“We need to come together in a unified manner to fight the insecurity in the nation, that is the old way we can make a bold statement against insecurity in the nation,” he said
A parent, Mrs Grace Umor, a parent of one of the newly recruited officers said she was very grateful that her son was taken out of the so many that applied to be recruited.
She added that wherever her son was posted to she would allow him to go, noting that the God that gave him the job would protect him.
NAN also reports that NSCDC was first introduced in Nigeria in 1967 during the Civil War in Lagos, however, on Jun 28, 2003, an Act to give statutory backing to NSCDC was passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by former Pres. Olusegun Obasanjo.