The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says the establishment of a database for private security guards will enhance national security.
The minister stated this at the Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on Nigeria Private Guards Industry, on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that all over the world, the private security guards played a critical role in development as well as in national security architecture in their various countries.
He added that therefore, Nigeria as a country, should not be an exemption in the global trend and happenings, bearing in mind the security situation of the country.
‘And looking at the industry as at today, we think their potential are under tapped, the effect of the industry in terms of our national security architecture, over the years, has been inactivated due to lack of standardisation.
‘Basically, in terms of policy formulation and adherence to global best practices, in terms of coming up with a database for productivity and efficiency.’
Tunji-Ojo explained that the
development would, no doubt, lead to creation of more jobs, better security for the country, both the formal and informal sector as well as individuals.
The minister explained further that with the right database, the issue of some private guards’ misconduct in their duty posts without being tracked down would be a thing of the past.
‘It is difficult for me to leave my family with a guard that perhaps is a rapist, it is difficult to leave my home to somebody I don’t know is a burglar. So, with a reliable data base, it will take off these fears in Nigerians.’
He explained that the meeting would enable the stakeholders to come up with a database that would make guards friends to the people and make them people of integrity.
‘It will also enable us to be sure that once somebody comes in as a guard, we are sure their biodata is intact, and in case there is any issue.
‘It will enable us to track the person and ensure justice is done,’ he added.
This, he said, would go a long way to give Nigerians the much-ne
eded confidence, knowing that they were not just bringing strangers to their homes in the name of guards.
He said that with reliable data, every guard would be well known to Nigerians, because it would give opportunity to people for background checks before engagement.
Earlier, the National President of Association of Private Security Guard, Dr Chris Adigwu, said that with the right database, some Nigerians would no longer have the fear of being manipulated by engaging private security guards.
‘In every sector of our national life, there are always best practices, and I believe what we are activating today is a game changer for us. As an industry, we can’t keep on doing the same thing.
‘This is an opportunity for us to engage our regulator, in as much as this policy is coming from them and we need it to enhance our operations.
‘We want to compete with our counterparts globally. And this is the right step in the right direction. Over the years, we have had issues with verifiable and credible database of o
ur guards.
‘So, it is a welcome development, and no doubt, it will spur us to keep on improving on the way and manner we have been operating as private guards.’
Source: News Agency of Nigeria