Obaseki seeks more collaboration with NCDC in protection of farmers

 

THE governor of Edo state, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has asked for more effective collaboration with the management of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), especially in the area of deployment of Agro Rangers in the state.

He noted that the imperative of Agro Rangers, a squad created by NSCDC to protect farm lands, to be deployed to the state in order to secure farmers in the forest and to protect all forms of investment in the agricultural sector.

The governor spoke when he paid a courtesy visit on the Commandant General of NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana ,at the national headquarters of the corps in Abuja.

He rated the corps  high in terms of performance, especially for the initiative of establishing the Agro Rangers at a time when the agricultural sector is threatened by high level of insecurity.

Obaseki expressed confidence in the corps, which, according to him, has continued to distinguish itself among other security agencies in the country.

“You are people of integrity. We have tracked your activities over the years, and I can tell you that Nigerians are proud of you. Please, maintain the tempo,” he said.

He commended the commandant-general for providing good leadership for the corps, which he noted has continued to impress him in many ways, especially for stimulating patriotic zeal in the corps personnel to serve the nation without prejudice or compromise as exemplified during the recent joint training programme organised for security agencies in Edo State.

He emphasised that beyond providing protection for their forest, especially this rainy season, which is associated with all sorts of criminalities and attacks such as terrorism and kidnapping of farmers, the engagement of the corps Agro Rangers, would boost farmers’ confidence and encourage more people to go back to their farms.

Obaseki reiterated that plans were underway to set up the forest guard in partnership with the NSCDC as a means of reinforcing security within the agricultural sector and protecting the forest from saboteurs.

Obaseki applauded the effort of the Edo State commandant in promoting a  good working relationship with the state government, especially in terms of providing timely security reports, and assured of continued support and prompt response to the corps request at all times.

He stated that the proposed forest guard to be established by the state would be trained by the civil defence corps to support the state government’s efforts in promoting internal security and alleviating fears among farmers and other investors in the sector.

In his remarks, Abdullahi Gana  commended the governor for the laudable initiative, noting that the era of COVID-19 pandemic necessitates that greater emphasis be placed on agriculture and food sufficiency to cater for Nigerians.

He added that NSCDC was poised to support  government in ensuring adequate food production and supply while also providing physical security.

The commandant-general described the proposed establishment of forest guard as a welcome development in the face of current reality and assured the governor of his total support; affirming that the corps would work closely with the state government to achieve its purpose.

Gana said the initiative was in line with the mandate of the NSCDC Agro Rangers, set up by the Federal Government to secure farmers and protect all agro allied investment in the agricultural sector.

He noted that Obaseki is the 21st state governor to approach the corps for partnership in the agriculture sector, which is already in force and yielding positive results in some states in the country.

He thanked the governor for assisting the corps with the expanse of land provided to build its state command office and the donation of operational vehicles to ease performance of its mandate.

He assured the governor that the corps would not disappoint, rather, will continue to adopt cutting-edge strategies in actualising its mandate.

He  added that the governor’s request would be granted and personnel of the Agro Rangers would be deployed to the state just like in Borno and other states in the North-East.

The Agro Rangers unit of the corps was established in 2016, after a high powered meeting between the commandant-general and former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, on the need to protect agricultural investment and the proposed cattle ranches in Nigeria with 5,000 personnel sufficiently trained by the Nigerian military, a decision many, especially farmers have commended for restoring peace and helping to stabilise the agricultural sector.

 

 

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