Lagos — ON Wednesday August 9, 2006 the Federal Executive Council (FEC) rose from its meeting and announced to Nigerians and the whole world that it has, after due consultation and consideration, approved the merger of Nigerian Security and Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as part of the on-going reforms in the Police.

Speaking shortly after the meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Chief Frank Nweke, explained that the essence of the merger was to ensure effective policing of the nation's territory. The Minister further disclosed that the government white paper on the merger would soon be made public. This is perhaps after a committee must have been instituted to work out the modalities and harmonized the duties of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Police Force to avoid possible areas of conflict. The committee, it is conjectured, shall produce an interim report on the personnel and facilities that exist in the two security outfits and also work out what the merger is intended to achieve.

From the feelers and reports across the nation since the Federal Government officially announced the merger, many Nigerians have been reacting to the decision of the government which necessitated such pertinent question as to whether or not the merger is designed to rationalize or to witch-hunt or to victimize or to destabilize either of the organisations for spurious reasons or for the fun of it. While some people say that the decision of government was taken with the best of intentions, majority of the citizens opine that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has endeared itself to millions of Nigerians judging by the spectacular achievements it has recorded after a few years of its existence especially in rural and urban security services, inculcation of security consciousness in the people, information gathering and dissemination and maintenance of peace and order in the country. While rejecting in its entirety the said fusion or merger talks, they maintain that rather than abrogate or merge the NSCDC with the NPF, the Corps should be strengthened, encouraged and supported adequately to stand on its feet.

The history of the Nigeria security and Civil Defence Corps dates back to 1967 when General Yakubu Gowon set up the Civil Defence Committee under the Emergence Act to provide shelter and medical services to be civilian population during the civil war in the country. The Ibrahim Babangida administration gave a tacit recognition to the Corps in 1988 and directed the then Military Governors to launch the outfit in their respective states. President Olusegun Obasanjo in his wisdom, gave a legal backing to the civil Defence and rationally signed into Law the Nigeria Securioty and Civil Defence Corps Bill (Now Act) on June 28, 2003 following its presentation by the National Assembly for his (Obasanjo's) assent.

According to the Law establishing it, the Civil Defence Corps is saddled with the responsibility of maintaining surveillance over government property at all levels as well as unscupulous elements involved in criminal activities like chemical poisoning and oil spillage, industrial espionage, vandalisation of power transmission lines and oil pipelines. Other functions of the Corps include supervising and regulating the operations of private guard companies, intelligence and information gathering, disaster management, monitoring the activities of trade associations etc. The Act further states that "the Corps shall change from its present observer's status in the International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO) to full member immediately after the commencement of this Act by fulfilling all conditions including payment of membership dues." In summary, it is clear that the Nigeria security and civil defence corps has to a great extent gained world-wide reputation and met the expectations of majority of Nigerians because of its activities, steadfastness and loyality to the nation.

On the other hand, the present Nigeria Police Force came into being on April 1, 1930, following the merger of the Royal Niger Constabulary (Northern Nigeria Police Force) and the Niger Coast Constabulary (Southern Nigeria Police Force) in 1906 and the Almagamation of the Northern and Southern Nigeria in 1914 with headquarters in Lagos and Commanded by an Inspector-General. According to a Police handbook during the period under review, the title of Inspector-General was replaced with Commissioner in 1937 but the original title was reverted to in 1951 after the introduction of a new constitution. Nigerians assumed overall leadership of the force in 1964 when the late Mr. Louis Orok Edet was appointed the first indigenous Inspector-General of Police following the exit of Mr. J.E. Hodge and the granting of Political independence to Nigeria by the British Government.

The NPF is specifically charged with prevention and detection of crime, apprehension and prosecution of offenders and the protection of life and property. Others are preservation of law and order and enforcement of all laws and regulations.

Having conscientiously gone through the statutory functions of the NSCDC and the NPF, it is indeed difficult for one to believe that the establishment and objectives of the Civil Defence Corps were mere duplication of the activities of the Police Force that should warrant its merger with the Police. Viewed against any background or perspective, the merger is not the solution to the problems facing the NPF and its officers and men who have been clamouring for enhancing status and improved conditions of service neither will it mitigate the sufferings of the officers and men of NSCDC and thousands of its members who are waiting in the wings to be absorbed into the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs after several years of meritorious services. However, if the two security organisations should merge for whatever reason(s)), the law establishing them ought to be amended in which case they should drop their old names and go by a completely new name.

In my own thinking, the on-going reforms in the Nigeria Police Force have nothing to do with the NSCDC. If the two institutions are merged, majority of their officers and men will be thrown out of job thereby compounding the perennial unemployment problems in the country. For the Civil Defence Corps, the merger may result in the suspension of Nigeria from membership of the International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO) and the withdrawal of privileges hitherto enjoyed by her and her citizens. The Federal Government should rethink and reverse its decision to merge the NSCDC with the NPF in the overall interest of Nigeria as a member-nation of International Civil Defence Organisation and the generality of its citizens particularly the officers and men of the two security organisations.

The Federal Government should be reminded that a similar decision was reached in the past to merge the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) with the Police but the efforts of the proponents of the merger plan who never liked any good thing in Nigeria, did not yield the expected result as the Commission courageously instituted a legal action against the move. The FRSC was supported by well-meaning Nigerians opposed to the unholy romance and it eventually won. Consequently, the (FRSC and NPF) demerged and the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Major-General Haladu Anthony Hananiya (rtd) who was appointed in December 1994 and who would have lost his job had the merger plan succeeded was reinstated and had continue to make landmark achievements in the commission. The case of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps should not be an exception. Finally, the NSCDC and NPF are incompartible and therefore should demerge.

The amazing decision to merge the NSCDC with the NPF does not portend good image for Nigeria as a member of ICDO