The Commandant, Lagos State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edenabu Okoro Eweka, has stressed the need for sister security agencies to embrace inter-agency collaboration, intelligence gathering , community relations, continuous security education and feedback mechanism from citizens to eradicate insecurity, such as banditry, kidnapping, insurgence and terrorism.
The Commandant made the call at a symposium, with the theme: ‘Rethinking National Security’, organised, by Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN ), Lagos Area Unit, under the leadership of Amir MSSN, Lagos State Area Unit, Mallam Miftaudeen Thanni.
Eweka, who spoke through the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Superintendent of Corps (DSC ), Abolurin Oluwaseun Olumide, also advised the citizenry, on the need for attitudinal change and love for country.
He said: “We cannot love our country less, as we have no other nation we can call our own.”
According to him, “having identified some causative factors of insecurity, such as; economic instability, political instability, social unrest, scarcity, poverty, external influence and high rate of unemployment amongst others, the citizens should be engaged and involved in the build up, of a strong national security architecture, for the nation, as we rethink our national security.
“Citizens should also channel whatsoever, genuine grievances they may have about the state of the nation, through security agencies and other relevant government agencies, to avoid needless or avoidable security breaches and economic sabotages of the nation’s critical national assets and infrastructure, by criminals or miscreants, especially, now that the electioneering campaigns, towards the 2023 general elections have begun.”
Addressing the ‘JAPA SYNDROME,’ affecting a large population of the nation’s youths, who have seen travelling abroad as the only preferred alternative, to accessing a better life.
He said :”tough times do not last, but tough people do. Our nation will require all of us to make it work, by our love and commitment to do so.”