Gana dispels rumour on downsizing of NSCDC personnel
By Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja
Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana, has said that the forensic psychological profiling of the corps personnel is to ensure psychological stabilization as a result of post -stress management disorder and not for the purpose of ranking or downsizing as is being insinuated in some quarters.
While receiving the report of the Forensic and Behavioural Unit of the corps, he disclosed that the corps decided to include the exercise as one of the criteria for screening candidates during recruitment, adding that without any compromise, the result would be used as basis for deploying personnel to critical assignments.
He emphasised that the prevalence of substance abuse in the nation shows that in the nearest future if not checked, the nation may be in serious trouble.
Speaking further, Gana reiterated the corps commitment to ensure that the agency, even though the youngest among the federal government security organisations stands out in its operations and interactions with the civil populace.
“I have directed the Forensic Unit to carry out the exercise on a routine basis,’’ he stressed.
However, Director of Earth Observation at the Defence Space Administration, Air vice Marshall Emmanuel Chukwu, who was present at the corps headquarters during the presentation of the report described the action of the commandant general as strategic and very timely.
He commended the commandant general’s desire in ensuring that personnel are psychologically balanced for the job in order to avoid accidental discharge and indiscipline as obtains in some uniform organisations.
Air vice Marshall Chukwu said that “background check is of utmost importance to good service delivery,” insisting that from the point of recruitment, the corps should begin to close mark its personnel in order to select the right crop of officers who are in the right frame of mind to be deployed for critical national assignments.
The Forensic Officer at the corps headquarters, Tersoo Shaapera, explained that the areas to be tested include general level of psychological functioning, achievement motivation, emotional intelligence, risk assessment for substance use, cognitive style assessment and risk assessment for violence among others.
