Obaseki canvasses adequate funding of NSCDC in Edo

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo on Thursday called for proper funding of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Edo Command, to enable it to function optimally.

Obaseki made the call while receiving the NSCDC Edo Commandant, Mr Aniekan Udoeyup, who led the other members of the corps on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Benin.

“I will continue to advocate for more funding for you from the Federal Government, to enable you and your men to continue to function optimally in the state.

“The government should be able to do more for you; we will notify them of the good work you are doing and the need to increase funding for you to support your activities.

“For us, we will continue to do all we can to support and encourage you. We cannot promise you that we can meet all your demands. We have our own constraints as a state.

“I want to assure you that we will continue to work with your command.

“Let us note that we are a small state with a lot of challenges security wise; it is almost going to be impossible to bear the burden of federal security agencies.

“We have to create our own security at the local level. You know that almost all the communities now have vigilantes and I have to support them also.

“I still have to pay salaries; so, it will be very challenging for us to bear the burden of other federal security agencies in the state,” Obaseki said.

Earlier, Udoeyup commended the governor for his support to the command, adding that it would continue to provide security for all in the state.

The commandant, however, appealed to the governor to support the command with logistics, to enable it to combat crimes in the state.