Reps consider bill to scrap NSCDC

A bill seeking to scrap the National Security And Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been introduced in the House of Representatives.

The bill, sponsored by Shina Peller (APC, Oyo), was read the first time on Tuesday. It seeks to repeal the NSCDC Act of 2007 and transfer the personnel and assets of the agency to the Nigeria Police Force.

According to the synopsis of the bill, Mr Peller is proposing to create a transition management committee to superintend over the NSCDC, develop regulations and implement procedures for the transfer of assets and personnel of the Corps to the Nigeria Police Force.

Mr Peller said the expansion of the functions of NSCDC is a duplication of the mandates of the police. He further said the agency is currently a waste.

“Fragmentation of security resources across multiple competing agencies is counterproductive.

“The mandate of the NSCDC has expanded that it has now become a duplication of the Nigeria Police Force. This has led to avoidable conflicts.

“Every single function of the NSCDC can be done or is being done by the Nigeria Police Force. He added that,” it is a “waste of scarce resources which has an annual budget of almost 100 billion.”

Mr Peller noted that “the assets and personnel of the NSCDC will be absorbed by the Nigeria Police, hence, no loss of job.”

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The NSCDC Act of 2003 led to the establishment of the corps under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Section 5 (3) of the Act, says it will “have the power to arrest with or without a warrant, detain, investigate and institute legal proceedings by or in the name of the Attorney-General of the Federation in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against any person who is reasonably suspected to have committed an offence under this Act.”

The bill will follow the legislative process before it is passed or rejected.