OSUN NSCDC HOLDS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMIT, SOILICITS GENUINE PARTNERSHIP FOR PROTECTION OF ASSETS

In a bid to make sure that all Nigerians are properly educated on the need to protect critical national assets and infrastructure in their domains, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Osun State Command organised a  one_day summit with the theme: ‘"PROTECTION OF CRITICAL NATIONAL ASSETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AS A PANACEA FOR UNDERDEVELOPMENT"

The stakeholders summit was held yesterday,  Tuesday 16th April, at a private conference hall in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

 While delivering his speech, the Zonal Commander in charge of Zone J,  Assistant Commandant General, Engr Quadri Saladin represented by Commandant Ajibola  Liadi, said the summit was apt, as the government at all levels and private sectors across the country are investing massively in development and construction of infrastructure. Therefore stakeholders must collaborate with NSCDC for sustainability of these assets.

In his speech, the Commandant of NSCDC, Osun state command, Michael Adaralewa Ph.D  said  the event could not have come at a better time due to the  threats to our national assets and infrastructure by economic saboteurs.

Commandant Adaralewa further stated that, the stakeholders summit was in line with the vision of NSCDC Commandant General  Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi mni, OFR, saying his administration is totally committed to rooting out every threat to the corporate existence of the country.

"There must be a deliberate attempt to build capacity for sustainability of critical infrastructure through genuine partnership between NSCDC and stakeholders, as the Corps is statutorily mandated to secure critical national assets nationwide. The Corps, therefore, solicits a robust collaboration from all stakeholders for us to apprehend these economic saboteurs,’’ Osun NSCDC boss said.

In his word, the Head of Department,  Critical National Assets and Infrastructure(CNAI) in Osun state command, Deputy Commandant of Corps, Vincent Linus said lack of collaboration, lack of awareness among stakeholders, inadequate intelligence sharing, ignorance and poverty are factors hampering proper implementation of protection of critical infrastructure in Nigeria. 

Delivering the lecture titled ‘’Protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure as a Panacea for underdevelopment’’ the Vice Chancellor of Fountain University, Prof Olayinka Ramota Karim represented by Prof.Goke Lalude made it known that critical national assets are services and systems necessary for a country to function upon which daily life depends.

She explained further that everyone has a role to play in securing the assets, hence all hands must be on deck in protecting both public and private infrastructure as its effectiveness would have a meaningful impact on political, economic and social life of a nation

In his presentation, Professor Joseph Bamidele Oyedele of Estate Management Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State revealed that the establishment of NSCDC by the  Federal Government is one of the measures to protect critical infrastructure and this is supported by NSCDC Act 2003 as amended in 2007.

‘’Any disruption to these assets can have serious consequences for citizens. Hence, protecting these facilities is important economically as interruptions could result in substantial financial losses and interference with the supply chain and business operations’’ Professor Oyedele said 

Keynote speeches were also delivered by Vice Chancellor of Adeleke University, Ede. Osun State, Prof. Solomon Ajayi Adebola represented by Assistant Commandant General(rtd) Kingsley Oguntuase, and the General Manager of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Osogbo, Osun State, Engr Adesina.

The summit was well attended by critical stakeholders,  including security agencies, senior government officials. business executives, infrastructure owners and managers, among others. This is in line with government thinking that  all hands must  be on deck, and that every Nigerian must be properly educated about security issues for them to play their individual role in protection of critical national assets and infrastructure.