Bill to scrap NSCDC passes first reading at House of Reps

The House of Representatives has passed for second reading, a bill that seeks the scrapping of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The Federal Lawmakers approved the bill for the second reading on Tuesday after it was presented by the lawmaker representing lseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/lwajowa Federal Constituency in Oyo State, Shina Peller.

The bill wants the responsibilities of the NSCDC to be taken over by the Nigeria Police Force.

In the bill titled the “National Security And Civil Defence Corps (Repeal and Transition) Bill 2022″, Peller said that expanding security resources across multiple competing agencies is counterproductive.

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According to him, the mandate of the NSCDC “has now become a duplication of the Nigeria Police Force.” 

Adding that such duplication has led to avoidable conflicts between the two agencies, Peller explained that annual budget of the NSCDC was almost N100bn.

He said that such a budget was a “waste of scarce resources”, as “every single function of the NSCDC can be done or is being done by the Nigeria Police Force.”

He added that since the assets and personnel of the NSCDC would be absorbed by the Nigeria Police, scrapping it would not cause loss of jobs.