The Commandant General, (CG) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has reiterated that the Corps, under his administration, places high premium on the welfare of personnel.
According to a statement issued on Sunday, 28 November, 2021, by the Director of Public Relations, DCC Olusola Odumosu, the management of the Corps is fully aware that to build a virile, dynamic and productive workforce, conscious efforts must be made to motivate the staff towards putting in their best for more dedicated service.
TheFact Nigeria notes that the CG’s reiteration became necessary following reports by some media houses regarding an independent arrangement of the Cooperative society of the Corps to distribute tricycles to interested members.
It was gathered that Audi, had in a restricted document signed by the deputy commandant-general, administration, Zakari Ibrahim Ningi, and dated November 23, 2021, announced his approval of a motorcycle/tricycle welfare scheme for the corps.
Some of the officers of the Corps are however not pleased with Audi for distributing tricycles (a.k.a Keke), while his counterparts in other paramilitary agencies are said to be giving out cars and commissioning mass housing schemes for their personnel.
According to Odumosu, the reports by the media houses are “with a view to portraying the administration in negative light and cast aspersions on the efforts of the Audi-led administration”.
Odumosu, in setting the record straight, explained that the cooperative society is an independent body whose membership are voluntary and not mandatory. The alleged scheme was meant for only interested cooperators and it was introduced by the cooperative society as part of effort towards meeting the welfare needs of its members only and not the generality of personnel, for which the CG is responsible.
Hence, it had become necessary to correct this misrepresentation as “the Commandant General cannot dictate what cooperatives do with their money, but can only counsel them which he has ensured”.
Odumosu emphasized the commitment of the NSCDC boss, who is barely eight months in office, to leave no stone unturned to ensure high welfare packages for officers and men of the corps through a robust and well-structured plan to increase personnel morale.
According to Audi, his roadmap for the Corps cannot be compromised having established the template of his planned thoughts and possible action to follow in line with his avowed commitment to initiate programs that would benefit the entire personnel and not just a section of the Corps like the cooperative members only.
The statement also disclosed that within eight months of his assumption of leadership of the Corps, the Commandant General had ensured the promotion of officers and men who have remained on the same rank for 3 to 10 years. He also began processing the payment of the backlog of promotion arrears of personnel which was meant to have been paid by the last administration, and gave special promotion, awards and commendation letters to officers who distinguished themselves in the line of duty within his 100 days in office.
“In furtherance, Dr Audi gave out cheques of over two-million-naira (N2M) for Group Personal Accident benefits to personnel who sustained various degrees of injuries in the cause of discharging their duties. There is also the over twenty-million-naira (N20m) worth of cheques being distributed as part of payment for Group Life Insurance which is managed by the Head of service”, the statement said.
In keeping with his promise, the Commandant General has paid over 150 families the outstanding burial benefits and entitlements of deceased personnel long forgotten before his appointment as the CG to the tune of Forty million naira (N40m) while also working assiduously to pay the backlog of outstanding benefits of about 60 families to the tune of over two hundred million naira (N200m) which has been lingering since 2013.
Ongoing is the second phase of compilation of remaining personnel that has sustained injuries in the cause of discharging their duties and about 60 officers and men will be paid not less than twenty-one million naira (N21m) as Group Personal Accident Benefits.
Commandant General has therefore appealed for patience and understanding of personnel on matters affecting them, while restating his determination and willingness to accommodate complaints on issues affecting all staff irrespective of cadre, and treat same based on justice, equality and fairness. Thus, anyone with complaints should not hesitate to follow the appropriate channel to forward it.
The CG, while appreciating the partnership between the corps and media, advised practitioners to leverage on the existing relationship to seek clarifications on issues relating to the corps and publish same bearing in mind their social responsibility role.
