By Isiaka Mustapha, CEO, People’s Security Monitor
PREFACE:
Prior to the advent of administration of Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi as Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC; not a few Nigerians were of immense doubt that NSCDC could be so transformed within a short period of time as demonstrated by Audi-led administration.
It should however be emphasized that the above assertion is without prejudice to the past management teams of NSCDC, especially the founding fathers of the Corps who toiled day and night to ensure its firm foundation.
At the People’s Security Monitor, we are spurred by the numerous achievements of Dr. Audi, so much that we could not help but document virtually all his exemplary feats in a book for prosperity.
The coming of Audi-led management team without fear of contradiction, has indeed caused a revolutionary reportage of activities of the NSCDC across the Nigerian media (print and electronics), especially social media as never before.
Almost instantaneously with the emergence of Audi-administration at NSCDC, the Nigerian media had keyed into the advantage of hisresult-oriented leadership to inform Nigerians ppppp about the resounding and unquantifiable revolutionary accomplishments being attained by the Corps almost on a weekly basis.
The appointment of Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi as Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps by President Muhammadu Buhari on 18th February 2021 could not have come at a more auspicioustime in the history of NSCDC.
Many Nigerians who had been conversant with Audi’s track record applauded the appointment as appropriate and timely to savage and help fast track proper application of both human and resources at NSCDC in view of the public yearnings for repositioning of the Corps.
On assumption of office, CG Audi without wasting time conceptualized a workable security strategy that had helped scale down incidents of vandalisation of critical government infrastructures all over the country, and in the same breath concedes sufficient attention to other core responsibilities of his office which include among others: speedy and rapid rescue missions for victims of disasters; ensuring adequate supervision and appropriate registration of private guardscompanies; timely seizure of suspected proceeds of vandalization and arrest of illegal dealers of petroleum products.
In the wake of multiple threat of attacks by miscreants and bandits in different parts of the country last year, Dr. Audi was up to his responsibility by issuing a stern order to the 15 Zonal Commanders of NSCDC not to compromise their statutory responsibilities.
He emphasized the need for them to up their games by ensuring that all Nigeriansirrespective of their status were secured and protected.
According to him, “peace, stability and economic growth of Nigeria can only be achieved if the concern for a secured country becomes the cardinal responsibility of every Nigerian.”
Expectedly, it wasn’t a smooth affair for CG Audi in the begining as agents of corruption within stepped up their mischievous tendencies to frustrate the revolutionary drive of his administration.
Audi’s efforts to halt corrupt practices within the system was obviously met with stiff opposition from some of the fraudulent and corrupt NSCDC’s contractors who now resorted to fight back by threatening Audi’s life via phone calls, text messages and recorded voice messages.
But in spite of all the evil machinations, Audi remained uncowed and more than ever before determined not to compromise the standard practice.
Audi’s zero tolerance for corrupt practices explains why all the corrupt contractors had launched all manner of clandestine moves to get him maligned or removed as NSCDC boss.
A case in hand exposed by a recent independent investigation by People’s Security Monitor revealed how a prominent contractor to the Corps connived with his business partner and approached Dr. Audi with sole purpose of luring him into distorting financial system and fiscal policy of the Corps for their selfish gains.
Specifically, they wanted the Commandant-General to convert capital vote of the Corps to interventionist funds so as to pave way for them to corner chunk of the contracts under interventionist programme at the expense of the well-being of the Corps.
Audi’s refusal to succumb to the contractors’s pressure would not be taken kindly, and ever since, the disgruntled contractors had evokedall manners of blackmailing and massive sponsored campaigns aimed at maligning his integrity and honour.
As a focused and efficient manager of men and resources, the NSCDC under his leadership rather than wane had achieved enviable feats within this stormy period of time.
A humane leader that he is, CG Audi places high preference to welfare of the workforce at NSCDC, taking into congnizance the need to build a virile and productive workforce that would be gingered to put in its best.
In view of this, the Commandant General has however, assured that he would leave no stone unturned to ensure high welfare packages forofficers and men of the corps through a robust and well-structured plan to increase personnel morale.
It is worthy to note that within eight months of assumption of duties the CG had ensured thepromotion of officers and men who had remained stagnant on the same rank for 3to 10 years, in addition to processing the payment of backlog of promotion arrears of personnel who were to have been paid by theimmediate past administration.
Special promotions, awards and commendation letters to officers and men whodistinguished themselves in the line of duty within his 100 days in office were also given.
In addition to these, Dr Audi also gave out cheques of over two-million-naira (N2M) for Group Personal Accident benefits to personnel who sustained various degrees of injuries in the course of duties.
Additionally, over twenty-million-naira (N20m) worth of cheques were distributed as part of payment for Group Life Insurance which ismanaged by the office of the Head of service.
The Commandant General had also paid over N40 million outstanding burial benefits and entitlements of deceased personnel to 150 families long forgotten before his appointment, 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 had beenlingering since 2013.
Ongoing is the second phase of compilation of about 60 officers and men that sustained injuries in the course of discharging their duties who will be paid not less than twenty-one million naira N21 million as Group Personal Accident Benefits. Indeed, this is the Ahmed Abubakar Audi’s Uncommon Strategy.