By Moses Okorie
The Commandant General of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), Joshua Wole Osatimehin, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to boast the morale of his officers by signing the Nigeria Forest Security Service Bill, which has been passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly.
Osatimehin made this passionate appeal to the president on Friday in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja where he delivered lectures at an ongoing leadership workshop organized by the NFSS FCT Command.
According to him, “We appeal to Mr. President to assent to a bill on his table that was passed by the two houses of National Assembly. We appeal to him to sign it into law. This will encourage our officers. In Abuja alone, we have over 4,000 trained men across the six local governments.
“So, if we are empowered by the assent today, this will motivate our spirit to take the battle to the forest and dislodge the common criminals. And mind you, the criminal you are seeing in Nigeria today are not Nigerians. They are part of the machinery that worked for the former president of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi.
“I want Nigerians to take cognizance of post-Gaddafi death. So, all the machinery that have worked with him are the ones scattered all over the West Africa and Nigeria inclusive. They are the ones tormenting us.
“If government empowers us today by signing our bill into law, we will do wonders. We will support the council authority on the issue of intelligent gathering and inter-agency collaboration to make sure that we bring all these criminals out of their hideout and they will face the justice”, he stated.
The Commandant General said have over 48,000 members across the federation and can serve as national forest guard as a federal agency that will be autonomous to seek mandate and approval to take operation to the forest.
“The National Forest Guard has been in existence since 1930 with our colonial master. But the reason why it cannot live up to expectations is that it was left under the mandate and the custody of state governance.”
On the workshop organized by the FCT Command under the leadership of Mr. Bawa Kyauta, the Commandant General said this is the first of its kind in the country. He said FCT Command is the best in terms of initiating quality programme and inter-agency collaboration.
“I feel delighted and I want to tell you that FCT is the best command in the country in terms of synergy with the consular authority, manpower and prompt intelligent report. We are always motivated by Abuja command”.
He urged other state governors to emulate Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State who empowered 1,015 members of the NFSS due to the exploits they are making in the state.
“In Kogi State, just two days ago, we arrested 11 kidnap suspects and rescued 17 victims. Last year, some university students were kidnapped in Okene, we were the ones that went after them and freed the victims.
“Governor Ododo has empowered 1,015 of our members in Kogi State. Kogi has 21 local governments with 20 forest reserves. Now all the forests in Kogi State are being dominated by the NFSS.
“We are appealing to other North Central states governments to emulate Governor Ododo, including the FCT Minister, being a former governor”, he pleaded.