A non-governmental organization(NGO), Girl-child Right Awareness Initiative in Africa, has canvassed for no age limit for recruitment into different security agencies in Nigeria.
The Managing Director of the organization, Mrs Olayinka Ojomo gave the advice on Monday, while addressing the press, as part of activities to herald the 3-year -anniversary of the abduction of Chibok girls.
Ojomo expressed disappointment over the continued captivity of more than one hundred young girls in different camps of Boko Haram insurgents, saying the pattern of recruitment into different security agencies in Nigeria does not create room for maximal performance.
She opined that the age limit criterion for recruitment into security services has deprived the country some brave and dedicated officers who could have contributed immensely to the security of the nation, and nip insurgency and other social vices in the bud.
Ojomo said since Nigeria is presently confronted with serious security challenge, it is imperative for the government to change its modus operandi in all ramifications, including recruitment guidelines.
According to her, no logical rationale could be advanced for the age-limit criterion except the need to reduce number of applicants through that means.
‘’The security situation in Nigeria of today requires total diversification of our strategies, which include the pattern of recruitment into the security agencies.
‘’We have argued time without number that the age limit criterion for recruitment is retrogressive, it makes mockery of the security realities of our country.
‘’Through this type of arrangement, Nigeria has robbed itself of gallant and brave officers, who might have contributed positively to the crusade against insurgency.
‘’In my own view, what is the most important as a criterion for recruitment into security agencies is the antecedent and the security history of applicants to know those who have criminal intents.
‘’Unfortunately, many of the security agencies are not probing into the security history of applicants before they employ them, and unwittingly engage criminals to go after criminals.
‘’The menace of insurgency in Nigeria as at today call for contribution of patriotic Nigerians without any barrier whatsoever.
‘’It is high time we changed our way of tackling insecurity in the face of increasing cases of crime of different dimension and start thinking in the way of proffering lasting solution through pragmatic means.
‘’Also, security chiefs must take the issue of welfare of the officers seriously for the purpose of increasing their morale and spur them to swift response to crime at all time,’’ she posited.
Meanwhile, the girl-child rights activist has charged the people in the volatile areas of the North East to brace up and cooperate with security agencies in the area of local intelligence gathering.
Ojomo explained that the role of the local communities in intelligence gathering towards the fight against terrorism can never be over-emphasized in any way.
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