By David Lawani
The Honourable Chief Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission, PCC Hon. Ayo Yusuf Abimbola has called on the Federal Government to look closely into the activities of private security agencies in the country so that there can be better security coordination and the fight against threats posed by unscrupulous elements in the society will be a nip in the bud as timely as possible.
Abimbola who was represented by the Director of Investigation, Private Sector Unit, Ms Hanatu James who led some team of investigators on the Systemic and Proactive Investigation into compliance level of some private security operators in the FCT, Ace Global Integrated Security Konsult limited and Makaira Global Security Service Limited both registered with Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, and Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, said the essence of the visit was to know what challenges they face and how the Federal Government attention can be drawn to issues affecting their operations.
She said as stakeholders in security management most especially in residential apartments and private facilities, there is a need to forge close relationships and areas needing attention for support will be fine-tuned for ease of operations as security is everyone’s responsibility noting that the place of effective communication cannot be gloss over in view of the need to work as a team for a secure environment for all.
She said: “We are here today to listen and hear from you what challenges you face in the course of doing your jobs. Security is everybody’s business. And communication is vital. We have to keep on communicating because with that, we are sure of defeating any form of threat from anywhere. We are stakeholders working together to achieve a better society. So much is depended on our shoulders. When we get appropriate information, we get it across to the government and they act on it speedily. It is like a feedback sort of a thing.
“It is part of our statutory responsibility in the act setting up Public Complaints Commission. People write to us with some complaints about what they face or what they are deprived of. So, our duty is to wade into such matters and see that they are resolved sustainably. Those beyond our powers, we hand it over to the relevant authorities. If Nigeria is safe and residents are able to sleep with their eyes closed, it is the joy of everybody. And I think that is the essence of security. For everyone to be safe and secure wherever he or she may be”, she noted.
She maintained that the PCC is passionate about the activities of the private guards because the police cannot be everywhere at the same time, so when these private guards are well structured and deployed for security management especially in residential areas, and whenever there is a threat they are able to notify the police who will now swing into action so that they can arrest the situation and if possible arrest offenders and ensure they are appropriately punished for their offences.
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Meanwhile, the CEO, Ace Global Integrated Konsult limited, Taiwo Bashiru in his remarks said he will be glad if an opportunity is given to them for an institute to train private security guards and when they are done they can be handed a certification that qualified them to be deployed anywhere in the country. He said having an academy for private guards training will be a beautiful idea with regards to maintaining the security of lives and properties.
His words: “It will be a tremendous improvement in private guards business. Once they are trained from the institute they can be handed a certification. It will make the whole process easy for me as a person. We will be able to determine their professionalism and commitment. It will afford me the time to employ the right people and the right hands for the job.
“We spend so many resources training these ones you are seeing here. Sometimes, this is supposed to be at the cost of the people we are employing but because we need them, we bear the cost. The thing is that, when we have a pool of these trained guards, we can always go there to take any number we need. There is so much competition. We are paying them well. No guard is paid below 20.000.00. We try as much as possible to ensure they are taken care of”.
Also, the management of MGGS, who is in charge of Makaira Global Security Service Limited managing Efab Estate in Lokogoma, led by Princess Nanna Ngozi who was represented by Abdul Azeez Olalekan during the meeting in Lokogoma in Abuja stated that there should be a review in the yearly renewal of the operational license suggesting three years as a suitable time which will afford them the opportunity of preparing adequately for it. He said the yearly renewal is unhealthy for their operations.
According to him: ” We have Private Guards Companies, and Private Guards license Association Company, PGC and PGLAC, who supervised activities of private security agencies in Nigeria. We want them to peg renewal to three years. This one year is eating so much into our purse and it is not appropriate.
“We sometimes make arrests when we are called upon by residents then hand them over to the police for prosecution. We work in collaboration with the police. All our officers are well trained. We spend so much on training them. But we want better regulations so that those who do not have the license to operate will be shown the way out. They are not representing us. I don’t have doubt that we have quacks in our midst. But the regulators should put efforts in place to wield them out. We want sanity in the whole process”, he said.
