Com. Raji Ibrahim, the Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Imo, has called for more collaboration among security agencies for effective security of lives and property in the country.
Ibrahim made the call in Owerri on Thursday when the new executive members of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Imo Council, led by Mr Chris Akaraonye, paid him a courtesy visit.
He said that unity and collaboration were essential among the nation’s security agencies for exchange of information to secure lives and property of Nigerians.
Ibrahim said that the core duties of the NSCDC was to secure lives and property, stressing that the command had been engaged in same task since he assumed duty in Owerri few months ago.
“Information management is very important, especially in the area of security. There is need for collaboration and unity among security agencies in the country in this regard to tackle insecurity.
“Civil defence is there to defend the defendless and to strengthen community policing; Civil defence is involved in protection of lives and property,” he said.
Ibrahim said that the NSCDC had achieved a lot in his short stay in Imo and had made some arrests relating to vandalism of electricity installations and oil bunkering.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commandant called on the Federal and State Governments to invest in community policing for maximum impact on security
The commandant expressed gratitude to the NUJ for the visit and pledged the command’s readiness to always support the union in its endeavours.
He said that the role of journalists in the development of any country could not be over emphasised, describing the journalist as an image maker and a person who could make or mar a person or country.
Earlier, the state NUJ Chairman, Akaraonye, said the visit was to interact and welcome the commandant and introduce the new NUJ executive members, who were elected in a free and fair election, to him.
He said the union has had good working relationship with the NCSDC and prayed that it would continue.
He promised, on behalf of the journalists in the state, to assist the command in disseminating information on its activities.
Akaraonye said the union would soon constitute a committee to check quackery in the profession, sanitise the union and guide against fake news.
He said that those who engaged in writing damaging reports or fake news were not journalists.
NAN reports that the courtesy visit was attended by top officials of the NSCDC in the state.
