Agun Gbenga Joseph, Commandant of the Edo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has assured that his outfit is fully prepared to play its role in safeguarding lives and properties of the electorates during the upcoming gubernatorial polls in the state.
He divulged that operatives of the NSCDC from eight neighbouring states would be deployed to the state to give backing to the efforts of those in Edo State during the polls.
Gbenga Joseph was talking while receiving some members of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ) led by the Chairman of the Council, Comrade Festus Alenkhe, who paid him a visit in his office in Benin on Thursday afternoon.
Comrade Alenkhe had informed the NSCDC boss that the “NUJ is an organization responsible for the upkeep and activities of journalists in Nigeria,” adding that “members of the union are drawn from various media organisations. We have resolved that for you to be referred to as a certified journalist you must have the requisite qualification.”
He asserted that quacks in the journalism profession can cause unmitigated crisis in a nation and thus the need to put up some grundnorm on the activities of journalists across the country which necessitated the establishment of the NUJ.
He informed Joseph that “we have been following your activities of how you have been dealing with those who want to sabotage the economy despite the risk involved.”
On the forthcoming governorship election in the state, Comrade Alenkhe appealed for the support of the NSCDC boss in providing security cover for journalists that would be on duty throughout the period.
Responding Joseph said that “generally, our job is to protect lives and properties. It’s our duty not only to protect the electorates but also the journalists covering the elections. We will do our best to make sure that we work with you, collaborate with you by guarding you and your equipment that’s your camera and other items you use to carry out your work.
Explaining the operational code of the NSCDC, Joseph disclosed, “we have three main core mandates. One is the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure. We also licence private guards companies and we are involved in disaster management.”
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