The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is working with the Police to ensure security in the country, Dr Ade Abolurin, has said.
Abolurin, the Commandant-General of NSCDC, disclosed this while addressing newsmen on the? International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO) Day celebrations on Thursday in Abuja.
He said both the Police and the NSCDC had realised that the current security challenges could? only be resolved through partnership among various security agencies.
“There has to be synergy, partnership and collaboration among security agencies to achieve success in securing lives and property of the citizenry,'' he said.
He assured that NSCDC would continue to be proactive to curb activities of criminals and minimise loss of lives and property.
“Just recently, we uncovered an illegal oil refinery somewhere in Abia State. And there is no week that we do not arrest bunkerers and vandals in areas around Rivers and Bayelsa States,'' he said.
Abolurin urged members of the Corps to reposition themselves in tackling the country's security challenges, saying: “the country's democratic ideals and values must be sustained.''
“The Civil Defence needs to be more proactive, more articulate, more disciplined, more friendly and more people oriented.
“It must continue to exhibit transparency, discipline, uprightness and sense of patriotism and the need to ensure sustenance of people's confidence, perception and image for the Corps,'' he said.
In a message to mark the 2012 celebration with the theme: “Civil Defence and Domestic Accidents,'' the Secretary General of ICDO, Mr Nawaf Al-Sleibi, said that programmes such as prevention of domestic accidents should be included in schools curricula all over the world.
“It should be a school subject no less important than others. The fact is that if someone has received an eduction on preventive measures, he will be able to deal with domestic dangers and to perform the basic first aid techniques,'' he said.
He urged Civil Defence worldwide to enhance their roles to meet the challenges of preventing domestic accidents and to also send the message to all homes.
Al-Sleibi called on countries to launch national campaigns in order to raise the level of awareness of domestic accidents among the people.
Also speaking, the Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro, advised Civil Defence to embark on sensitisation campaigns in schools.
Moro who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Seidu Ozigis, also urged the NSCDC to carry out house-to-house campaign on the dangers of domestic accidents. (NAN)