NSA WARNS AGAINST HIRING SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE AS SECURITY PERSONNEL

With the level of insecurity in the country occasioned by the Boko Haram insurgency, Nigeria is not taking chances with plugging all loopholes that terrorists and their sponsors could exploit to unleash more terror on the country. From mass deportation of illegal aliens, majority of whom have served as foot soldiers for the terror merchants, the federal government is switching its attention to private individuals and organisations with a warning that they should be mindful of the kind of people they employ as security guards.

National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has warned Nigerians to take extra precautionary measures when hiring security personnel to avoid recruiting terrorists and people with criminal tendencies.

Dasuki gave the warning yesterday in Abuja at a workshop on the “Importance of Security Awareness and Drills in Contemporary Nigeria,” organised by his office in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and the Department of Security Service (DSS).

The NSA, who was represented by Maj-Gen. Babatunde Samuel (rtd), said investigation had exposed the fact that some of the security personnel employed by individuals, communities and organisations were people of questionable characters.

He said: "You should be careful because of those that have been vetted are found not to have fixed addresses or the requisite qualifications or experiences that they claim to have.  Some are even of questionable character...you must therefore check their antecedents before you patronise them.

"It is based on the imperative to make Nigerians security conscious that the federal government gave you (participants) the opportunity to become pioneers of the rejuvenated national security awareness programme."

Dasuki added that the federal government through the SSS had undertaken vulnerability assessment of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to improve their security apparatus.

According to him, the federal government is doing its best to discharge its constitutional responsibilities by "emplacing adequate measures to detect and arrest the menace of terrorists, religious intolerance, armed robbery, kidnappings, pipeline vandalism, piracy, corruption and other related crimes that impact negatively on Nigeria’s image and economy".

"Security inspection committees were also set up by various MDAs to ensure compliance with the security regulations as they affect the safety of government personnel, documents, facilities and structures," he said.
Also, the SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, explained that the workshop was borne out of the federal government's desire to make Nigerians security conscious in a bid to establish the necessary condition for the actualisation of the transformation agenda.
Anyim, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Service Office of the SGF, Mrs. Esther Gonda, said if every segment of the society played its role or contributed its quota well, Nigeria would be a better place to live in.

"We must all continue to hone our capabilities and not rest until we arrive at the point where it will not be easy for those seeking to cause trouble or harm us to do so.
" We must use our various levels of authority in the society to discourage sensational comments, corruption, provocative preaching, religious or ethnic intolerance, unpatriotic speeches, especially by politicians," he said.

Source: Thisday