2023: No plan to boycott coverage of elections – NSCDC

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has denied insinuation that its personnel will boycott the coverage of the forthcoming general elections.

The Corps said thousands of NSCDC personnel will be deployed to every nook and cranny, critical national infrastructures not exempting the protection of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it’s staff and electoral materials, all in a bid to ensure a peaceful election.

There had been reports  that operatives of the Corps plan to boycott 2023 election coverage due to outstanding allowances for 2022 Osun and Ekiti election coverage.

But in statement released Thursday in Abuja by the Corps spokesman, Olusola Odumosu, confirmed that personnel of the Corps that took part in the Ekiti and Osun state governorship elections in 2022 are yet to receive their allowances, adding that the management of NSCDC has taken bold steps in ensuring the allowances are paid before the presidential election.

According to Odumosu, the federal government recently released Osun election allowances which is in the process of disbursement to operatives who participated in the election duty and it was also promised that the allowances for Ekiti election is in the process of release to the Corps.

“The Corps wishes to debunk such speculations as thousands of NSCDC personnel will be deployed to every nook and cranny, critical national infrastructures not exempting the protection of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it’s staff and electoral materials, all in a bid to ensure a peaceful election.

“The recently released fund was due to the commitment and passion of the Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR to ensure that staff welfare is not tampered with.

“Worried by the initial delay, Dr Audi, set up an action committee, headed by the Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA), Mrs Comfort Danladi, to make necessary follow-ups with the Federal Ministry of Finance in ensuring the release of the funds.

“The cooperation received from the Ministry of finance in respect of the payment of the election allowances prompted the assurances by the Corps’ management to personnel that the process had begun, hence, the need to sue for more patience at that time.

“It is worthy of note that, the CG is very passionate about the welfare of personnel and would not fold his arms and allow personnel to groan in anguish, pain or very low morale in the course of carrying out their duties especially in the forthcoming general elections.”

The statement urged the personnel to exercise more patience, saying the payment process cannot be completed in one day.

“The Corps therefore wishes to implore those attempting to cause confusion in the Corps not to waste their time and efforts as it will be an exercise in futility.

“The Corps is a professional body and a regimented organisation with well trained and highly disciplined personnel that have full understanding of paramilitary doctrines and public service rules, and would not be coarsed into engaging in acts of Indiscipline or sabotage against the nation.

“Personnel of the Corps are educated and enlightened enough to understand that allowances are only added incentives to salaries and not a right, and that sometimes, bureaucratic bottlenecks can be responsible for such delays.

“Besides, the Commandant General has reiterated times without numbers that under his administration, ‘the era of monkey dey work, baboon dey chop’ in the Corps is over.

“The Ministry of Finance can be reached for more details about the circumstances surrounding the delay in payment of the election allowances.”