As parts of efforts to ensure Nigerians are properly educated on the need to protect critical national assets and infrastructure in their domains, the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Tuesday, organised a one_day summit with the theme: ‘”PROTECTION OF CRITICAL NATIONAL ASSETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AS A PANACEA FOR UNDERDEVELOPMENT”
A statement by the command spokesperson, Kehinde Adelelek, noted that the Zonal Commander in charge of Zone J, Assistant Commandant General, Engr Quadri Saladin represented by Commandant Ajibola Liadi, while speaking during the stakeholders summit,said the summit was necessary, adding that 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.
The state Commandant of NSCDC, Michael Adaralewa Ph.D in his words, 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.
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.
