By Sunday Attah
Every team has that member that generates the sparkle that brightens its overall image.
In football, such persons are identified as as star players such while they play their hearts out to the admiration of fans, the glory and honour they bring to the team is not just for themselves but to the entire team.
It is no different in governance where the contributions of certain individuals serve as the catalyst for producing the positive image that redefines an administration and leadership worth.
During the Obasanjo administration for instance, it was unarguable that the performance of Malam Nuhu Ribadu as chairman of the anti graft commission, shored up the credibility of that administration casting a positive image for it as a reformist one that is out to stamp out corruption.
In the current administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the story is no different as there are a few who have despite the prevailing economic demands on citizens won the hearts of the people and have given hope that the administration means well and is serious about raising the living standards of Nigerians.
One of such persons is the current Commander General and Chief Executive of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi who within two years, has transformed a hitherto outlier organisation into one of the most celebrated public institutions in the country as is attracting positive vibes for the Tinubu led administration.
The NSCDC going by its core mandate, is supposed to protect lives and property;
safeguard infrastructure; manage crises;
combat vandalism and protect pipelines.
As a believer in the renewed hope agenda, Audi has used the organisation not just to achieve its mandate for the overall development of the country but has added to the revenue of the country thereby raising hope that Nigeria can not only harness its resources, but can be safe and secured.
The CG of the NSCDC achieved that by aligning himself with the vision of President to add to the revenue base of the country and raise the living standards of citizens.
Through CG Audi’s timely innovation, the potentials of the solid mineral sector were harnessed when the Mining Marshall of the corps was inaugurated in March thus year, to tackle the problems of solid minerals theft and illegal mining in the sector.
As a result, the corps helped the Tinubu administration to harness over N40 billion by blocking loopholes in the solid minerals sector which the president is happy about because it aligns with his vision to block all wastes and raise the earnings of government for development purposes.
Again, many have noticed, gradually, the era of wanton pipeline vandalisation is becoming history under the effective watch and surveillance by the men and officers of the NSCDC. Such facilities have become secure and has enabled the Port Harcourt refinery and other jetties to pump some of its products to depots for easy lifting.
The bursting of illegal refineries also stands as outstanding contribution of the NSCDC to nation building as it has saved the country from bleeding due to the greed of few individuals.
The corps has brought dignity to governance as it is about the only security outfit whose officers have never been reported to brutalise or manhandle citizens as they are properly trained and schooled on how to go about their duties with civility.
Since the recent cases of stampede across the country, people have learnt to appreciate the works of the NSCDC which in the past had been taken for granted as they have come to realise that in the past the presence of men of the corps have prevented such occurrence as they hugely trained to handle and control crowd without harassing people.
All these achievements have not come by accident but through the effective leadership of Audi who as CG has enhanced professionalism and raised the standards with sound initiatives like the introduction of the CG’s Special Anti-vandal Squad and the reorganization of the anti-vandal unit.
His administration has also focused on infrastructural development which has seen to the construction of a fire service station and the acquisition of firefighting vehicles to aid in disaster management.
The establishment of the Private Guard Companies (PGC) and the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad and the reactivation of the Agro-rangers have served to check and economic sabotage, particularly crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
The CG’s initiative of introducing the General’s Quarterly Conference to regularly assess and strategize on the Corps’ performance. and the creation of the Special Female Squad (SFS) who educate children and protect schools and their surrounding communities have been spot on.
The focus given to training and retraining of personnel, with over 700 officers receiving advanced training in weapon handling within ten months and developing standardized training curricula to promote uniformity and professionalism have partly added to the success story.
Likewise the establishment of the NSCDC Command and Staff College in Plateau State and a microfinance scheme for the Corps’ personnel exemplify his commitment to institutional development.
It is no exaggeration to add that Dr. Audi’s administration has made significant strides in personnel welfare of staff, including the disbursement of substantial funds for group life insurance benefits and burial benefits.
Little wonder that the NSCDC has picked up and has been serving Nigeria and its well that the CG has become one of the the shining lights of the current administration.
Attah contributed this piece from Abuja.