NSCDC

The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Benjamin Hundeyin said this in an interview with newsmen Abuja, on Sunday.

Hundeyin said the responsibility of the unit, headed by a Commissioner of Police (CP) was to ensure that personnel of the force were kitted with a pair of uniform annually.

He said that the unit was also saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that standard was maintained by personnel who would want to get additional kits aside the one provided by the force.

According to him, the force has a budget through the Quartermaster Unit for the provision of uniforms, belts, shoes, berets, and others.

“Since the force is providing a set of kit for its personnel annually, there is nothing wrong in a personnel buying an additional one or two for his or her convenience.

“I personally buy additional kits for myself apart from the one provided by the Nigeria Police Force and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.

“I have been to radio stations where presenters use their money to buy their headphones.

“At the end of the programme they go home with their headphones because it is not a property of the station and the same applies to the Nigeria police force.”

The force PRO added that police personnel were free to buy additional kits as being done in other law enforcement agencies, but must maintain the required quality and standard.

Similarly, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), debunked the insinuations of personnel kitting themselves with personal funds.

Afolabi Babawale, National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the corps, told NAN that personnel were entitled to a pair of the different NSCDC uniforms annually.

Babawale said that officers and men apply through their state commandants who in turn get approval from the corps Commandant General, Ahmed Audi.

“Some new uniforms were just brought to the store and once there is approval from CG you pick it up.

“During most of the CGs quarterly meetings, state commandants use that opportunity to pick up uniforms for personnel,” he said.

He explained that personnel who however wished to have multiple uniforms were entitled to purchase additional kits.

The PRO said that the commandant general of the corps had directed that only two uniforms be approved for operatives protecting Very Important Persons (VIPs).

“The CG has made it clear that the uniform for those protecting VIPs is the blue and Agro Rangers green uniform, until another one is designed after approval from the Federal Government.

In the same vein, the Federal Fire Service, Spokesperson, Paul Abraham said that the provision of uniforms for personnel remained a part of the service’s welfare package under the Consolidated Paramilitary Salary structure.

He said that before the coming on board of the current FFS Controller General, Samuel Olumode, distribution of uniforms was on hold, however, it had resumed.

“The CG just deployed uniforms to all personnel that just finished training. We had uniforms in store that were not issued but when he came on board he called tailors to measure personnel,” Abraham said.

Meanwhile, senior personnel of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), who spoke with NAN on conditions of anonymity respectively, said that personnel procure their uniform and kits through personal payment.

They attributed the practice to budgetary limitations.

According to the NDLEA, personnel provision of kits for personnel was often not captured in institutional budgets.

“Government agencies cannot legally spend on items not expressly provided for in approved budgets. It is a budgetary issue. If it is not included in your budget, you cannot spend on it.”

He explained that the situation was not peculiar to the NDLEA but common across paramilitary and military organisations.

“This applies to all uniformed services, including the military. It is not limited to one agency,” he said.

The officer noted that kitting personnel required significant financial resources, especially considering the size of nation’s security workforce.

He estimated that providing at least two sets of uniforms for a single officer could cost between N400,000 and N500,000.

“When you consider agencies with tens of thousands of personnel, the total cost becomes enormous,” he added.

The officer recalled that full government-sponsored kitting was carried out only once during a past recruitment exercise when provisions were specifically included in the budget.

Similarly the NIS personnel said that personnel largely procure their uniforms and kits through personal payments or allowances rather than direct issuance by the government.

The office said that the current arrangement depended on rank and internal administrative procedures.

According to the officer, senior officers receive uniform allowances which enable them to purchase their kits, while junior personnel are typically issued materials through official channels.

“We pay for our uniforms because they are not always handed directly by the government. In some cases, allowances are provided, especially for senior officers,” he said.

He explained that under the existing system, uniform materials were usually procured centrally and kept in service stores.

“Senior officers obtain materials from the stores using personal funds or uniform allowances and subsequently sew their uniforms independently.

“For junior officers, they make requests and the materials are issued to them, but senior officers often pay to obtain theirs,” he explained.

The officer noted that the arrangement effectively meant that government support existed indirectly through allowances and central procurement of materials rather than outright distribution of finished uniforms.

On whether a specific budget line existed solely for uniforms, the officer said he was uncertain and would need to confirm officially.

He also did not specify a fixed timeline for uniform replacement but indicated that procurement was largely need-based and subject to administrative approvals and available resources. (NAN)