NSCDC ADAMAWA COMMAND THREATENS TO PROSECUTE PROTESTING OFFICERS

Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps(NSCDC), Adamawa State command has threatened to prosecute the volunteers of the command who staged a peaceful protest in Yola, the state capital, demanding for regularisation in the wake of the ongoing recruitment exercise in the country.

The command disclaimed the protesting volunteers who took to the street in their unions, demanding for their allowances and regularisation into the NSCDC.

It could be recalled that the volunteers of the command in the state had during the week, staged a peaceful protest holding placards with inscriptions: "Give us our appointment letters and allowances, we insist on our right, Give us our entitlements etc".

According to them, they have been working as volunteers for many years with expectations that one day, the government will consider their sacrifices and issue them with appointment letters to help themselves and their families but to no avail.

The volunteers told newsmen that recently, the government has lifted embargo for recruitment exercise, but they discovered that the volunteers are being surcharged, saying they were left with no option than to embark on peaceful demonstration.

While fielding questions from newsmen at Mahmad Ribadu Square in Yola, the Adamawa state capital, the Chairman of the Volunteers, Livingston Mohammed, lamented that about 631of their colleagues were captured as volunteers for more than 10 Years ago, but could not be regularised up to date.

The Chairman disclosed that they were being given the sum of #30,000, in the past and to be precise in 2008, but the payment was stopped after 3 months, explaining that they have been screened by committees, but as at this time, they are still awaiting regularisation.

But when contacted by the NEWS PLATFORM for comments, the state Commandant of the NSCDC, Abdullahi Nurudeen, said that the command does not have anything like volunteer personnel.

The Commandant described them as group of individuals who were trying to breach the security of the state, disclaiming them as the men of the command in the state.

Abdullahi told NEWS PLATFORM that when new government came on board, it directed that regularisation should be carried out most especially those that were serving as volunteers, saying that the then volunteers were all duly employed, and since then, nobody has been engaged to serve in that capacity.

He stated that anybody who wants to join the services of NSCDC should go and apply online as their portal is opened for applications, adding that the command in the state does not recruit anybody and that whoever has any issue with recruitment should channel it to the appropriate authority and not here in the state.

Meanwhile, an impeccable source close to the organisation who confided in the NEWS PLATFORM said that the command may take legal action against the protesting volunteers for impersonation.

But when contacted by newsmen, the spokesman of the police Command in the state, Suleiman Nguroje, said that the protesters were arrested for blocking major roads within the state capital, insisting that the people also blocked the gate of the Federal Secretariat, preventing workers from coming in and going out.