The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has called on Licensed Private Security Practitioners to continue to collaborate with relevant government security agencies in the country with a view to providing effective and efficient security and safety services to Nigerians.
The Minister made the call today, in his office, in Abuja when he received the leadership of the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN), led by its National President, Barr Wilson Esangbedo.
According to him, licensed private security organs cannot operate in isolation, he therefore charged them to take advantage of their closeness to the people for intelligence gathering while also relating same to relevant security agencies in a bid to help government in the fight against insecurity.
Aregbesola said that the federal government was developing a robust regulation that will enhance the operation of the private security guards to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in line with government security policies.
‘’We want to ensure that only those who are worthy are granted licence to operate as private security outfits so as to guarantee efficiency in the entire security system in Nigeria”, he said.
The Minister urged members of the ALPSPN to ensure that only those who have the requisite knowledge are injected into the private security system and stressed that security guards must be trained to be able to respond to cases of flooding, fire disaster, accident and other emergencies for the benefit of public safety and security.
‘’We recognise you as an essential organ in ensuring security and safety of our people,’’ therefore ‘’I look forward to seeing an improved relationship between this Ministry, all its Services, other security agencies and the private security bodies, so as to ensure the realization of the Ministry’s mandate which is the maintenance of internal security and citizenship integrity”, he reiterated.
He charged the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners to enforce discipline among their officers and men in terms of their appearance, attitude and conduct in the discharge of their duties.
Earlier, the President of the Association, Barr Wilson Esangbedo appealed to the Federal Government to repeal the 1986 Decree on the operations of private security operators and replace it with necessary Act that will encompass everybody in the industry, adding that the country will stand to benefit more if government will provide an enabling environment for private security outfit to improve in their services to the people.
Esangbedo said his organisation has been working very well with the men and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), adding that efforts were in top gear to put in place a directory showing the locations of all the licensed private security operators in Nigeria, for intelligence gathering.
SIGNED
Mohammed Manga
Director (Press & Public Relations)
For: Honourable Minister
