By Mahmoud Dogara (Bauchi State Correspondent)
Stakeholders in the North East zone, have, at a one day Private Security Governance Forum, called on state governments in the country to improve the welfare of private Security service providers, saying that they compliment the efforts of public security agencies in providing security.
The event which took place at the YIMIR Hotel and suites in Bauchi on Thursday, had stakeholders drawn from the Civil Society Organizations, security agencies, Private security personnel, the media and NGOs. The forum is aimed at raising awareness and discussions on challenges and opportunities presented by private security sector as well as ways to strengthen it's governance in a multi-stakeholder approach in Nigeria.
In an opening remarks, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AFRILAW, Barrister Chinwe Okeke, said that insecurity is a key challenge in the country, which the government is overwhelmed, hence there is the need for private security providers to assist in beefing up security in the nation.
He said that the Private security Governance Forum is under a two year project, titled: "Strengthening Private security Regulation and Oversight in Nigeria" with support from Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance based in Switzerland, adding that the project is in partnership with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) who is regulatory agency for Private Guards Companies.
"Considering the challenges Private Security companies are going through, which we have Identified through our base line research, we are hoping that by engaging the stakeholders, we will be able to look into all these issues holistically and propose what can be done in interventions that can help to improve their operations in Nigeria"
"There is a general misconception by the government and the society at large concerning the functions of the Private security providers, hence they are yet to be accorded the importance they deserve, looking at their contributions in improving security.
"This has affected the effectiveness of thier operations in the country. Few people engage their services, which makes them to be poorly paid, so they keep managing and that is why you see high level of unprofessionalism in the private security sector", he said
Barrister Chinwe Okeke said that when the private security sector is strengthened in the area of capacity building, professionalism, training and retraining of officers, it will go a long way to improve their operations and duties, thereby giving them value and changing the poor perception the general public have about them.
In their separate submissions on key challenges and opportunities in the private security sector in Nigeria, the State Chairman of the association to Licence all private security practitioners of Nigeria, ALPSIN,Mr Dauda Maishanu, The HOD PGC Department NSCDC, Bauchi State, Mr Sambo Joseph and Representative of the Civil Society and Regulatory Authority, Mr Mbami Iliya hampered on an effective synergy between the goverment and Private Security sector, through training, capacity building and proper implementation of legal framework.. NNL.
