The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbosola, has decorated five new Deputy Controller Generals, DCGs of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) alongside four of their counterparts from the Nigeria Immigration Service at the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, Abuja.
While congratulating the newly decorated officers on their elevation, the Minister who doubles as the Chairman, Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), charged the nine newly confirmed DCGs to see their promotion as a call to higher service and advised each of them to provide quality leadership in their various services by leveraging on their wealth of experience to play extra-ordinary roles in their agencies, noting that their acceleration has come at the most challenging time in Nigeria’s history.
According to the minister, threats arising from insecurity perpetrated by those he described as enemies of the country require experienced players like the crop of newly decorated DCGs to deal with the problem decisively and expressed confidence in their capabilities considering the local and international training and exposure they have had over the years, which, has bestowed on them the required knowledge and skills to solve the myriads of security challenges in the country.
He specifically tasked the new Deputy Commandants General of NSCDC to go after the perpetrators of the gruesome murder of innocent worshipers in a Catholic church in Owo town, Ondo state, by playing direct roles rather than a complementary one in confronting the menace of bandits’ attack and killings of innocent souls across the country.
“We must put an end to all criminals playing with the intelligence of the Nigerian state, you have no excuse whatsoever not to perform going by the level of training you have received both locally and Internationally and I charge you to launch your arsenals against the perpetrators of Owo church attack, play a direct role and not a complementary role but synergize with other security agencies to fish the criminals out and let’s bring them to Justice”, the Minister said.
He further admonished the Commandant General to use his instruments of grassroots penetration and Intelligence to unearth the heartless criminals and effect the necessary arrest of those nefarious elements attacking innocent citizens and disturbing the peace of the nation.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, remarked that the promotion of the DCGs was guided by extant laws and regulations after thorough screening and urged the officers to deploy their experience in the attainment of their agencies mandates because the interior ministry has recognition for dedication, patriotism, effeciency amongst other considerations.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Honourable Commissioner in charge of Appointment and Promotion, Major General Etim Bassey (Rtd), said the criteria considered for the elevation of the DCGs who represent different Geopolitical zones include written examinations, oral interviews, merit, seniority and annual performance appraisal.
Responding, the Commandant General, Ahmed Audi thanked the Minister and the Management of the Board for confirming the DCGs for the NSCDC, stressing that the service will not disappoint the ministry and by extension the nation in actualizing its mandate