Complimentary Securities: How Effective in Face of Emerging Security Challenges and Way Forward (Part 1)

Gbolahan Samuel Moronfolu

There is no gainsaying that Nigeria and indeed the global world is confronted with hydra facet security challenges, affecting socio economic activities negatively. However, this divergent security challenges come in different forms depending on the peculiarity of each region. The writer of this article helps to enlighten the readers and dissect extensively on the contributions of various complementary security systems to tackle the issues of insecurity bedeviling our country and threatening the world peace, their weaknesses and way forward.

Judging from different perceptions, the traditional realist scholars with a western notion of security believe that, “security is the absence of threats or challenges to social safety, comfort and stability”. And that insecurity is a product of threats or challenges arising from acts or omissions from the wickedness and lawlessness of man that leads to or generate fear that acquired core values will be attacked in the society; as such, some believed that security is better achieved from the use of force through suppression and control whether force is use as a defensive, deterrent, compellant or swaggering means in societal management.

On the other hand, the idealists emerged without disputing insecurity as being the sacrilege to core values position but with a contrary view that, whichever way security is defined, it is better fostered through equal treatment of actors using negotiation, bargaining and consensus.

The idealist expositors completely reject the use of force in the maintenance of security. It is generally upheld that “Violence in whatever form is a threat to security and promotes insecurity regardless of who perpetrates it.”

In the same vein, the modernists endeavor to reconcile the intellectual positions of the idealist and realist expositors by balancing the two on a single pedestal, thus maintaining that it is a combination of the two enclaves in a constructive engagement fashion that remains the synergy of a healthy security complex of any human system, thereby fostering and maintaining security in every sphere of societal life.

Marxists came up with a view that, “State and its institution as being made up of a coalition of exploiters who are the direct and indirect sources of the numerous fiery security threats in the society etc.

The concept of security has divers’ perceptions of what constitutes security; this variation also influences the position of strategists on how to provide and maintain social security amidst varying notions. The viewpoint of a traditional realist Walter Lipman, western notion of security posited that “Security is about a state’s level of military capability sufficient enough to avert the dangers of having to sacrifice its core values in strategic wishes to avoid war if challenges and ability to maintain victory and preserve such values in conflict or warlike situations(Lipman 1943 cited in Arnold Wolfers 1952:484).

The above explains that “a nation is secured, if it has acquired military might and is not in danger of having to sacrifice its core values. Since security of any sector of the international system anchors on the preservation of its core values which is only achieved through sufficiency of weapons and military capability and insecurity is described as a state whereby, pervading security problems that can have short, medium or long-term solutions are allowed to sacrifice the core values of a system, threatening the entity/s peace and social comfort.

In view of the above concepts of security, it is paramount to note that security is everyone’s responsibility. However, for the purpose of accountability, certain agencies of government have been created and saddled with the responsibility of ensuring security of lives and properties. Some of which includes: 1. The Armed Forces, comprising (i). The Nigeria Army (ii) The Nigeria Air Force (iii) The Nigeria Navy. 2. The Nigeria Police and 3.Other Para-Military services.

These security agencies mentioned have their respective areas of responsibilities, professional skills and equipment and do not work in isolation, but complement and synergise with each other in their respective operations. Yet, complimentary contract/private security outfits were established due to the conventional public security sector inability to meet the many security needs of the society, as a result of two major identifiable factors namely: (i) Inadequate manpower/numerical strength which falls short of United Nations recommendation of Police to citizen ratio in a country as well as other logistic inadequacies.(ii) The public security already have more than enough responsibilities to handle (wider areas of responsibility), some of which include: criminal prosecution of cases, suppression of riotous assembly, maintenance of general public order, tackling political agitations, defence of territorial integrity of the Nation and lots more.

This therefore brought about the advent of complimentary security outfits and other security systems to compliment security services and attend to securities of various corporate/private institutions, such as churches, event centers, amusement parks, residential security and lots more, in an expanding society with multi social and economic growth. Some of the complimentary contract securities are as itemized: (1) Contract/Private Security Guards (2) Vigilantes/Neighborhood guards (3) Gateman (4) Security Dogs (5) CCTV cameras (6) Drones Security Technology etc. Below is a highlight of the roles, merits and demerit of some of the existing security systems, their impact in the scheme of things, and the way forward, thus:

1.CONTRACT SECURITY: Is the use of an outside contractual agency to provide a substantial measure of security for the contracting company. Connected with the conditions of a legal, written agreement; agreed in a contract. The contractual agency provides this service through security officers and investigators who are hired, trained, supervised and managed by the contracting company.

TERMS OF CONTRACT: When a security firm is contracted, they are to provide and deploy security operatives to render such security services to clients after payments of required security fees to cover wages, training, overtime requirements, leave grants, payroll taxes, uniforms, benefits, etc.

ENABLING ACT (PGC ACT)

Section 1. Private guard companies to be licensed

As from the commencement of this Act, no organisation shall perform the service of watching, guarding, patrolling or carrying of money for the purpose of providing protection against crime unless the organisation concerned:

Is registered as a company under or pursuant to the Companies and Allied Matters Act; and

[Cap. C20.] as applied for and has been granted a license by the Minister in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Section 4.Nature and effect of license to operate

A license granted by the Minister under the provisions of section 3 shall be valid and operative for two years from the date of issue.

Any such license shall specify the number of offices, branches or other places of business which the company is permitted to maintain.

A license may be suspended or revoked by the Minister at any time if he is satisfied that the company holding the license is unsuitable to continue to hold such license.

A license may be suspended or revoked by the Minister at any time where in his opinion the ownership or control of, or any controlling interest in the company to which the license relates has passed to any other company or organization which is generally unsuitable to be considered for the grant of such license.

*Moronfolu is a seasoned security consultant with many years of security and policing experience. FELLOW, Fourth Estate Professional Society (FFPS), he has also partaken in peace keeping operations within and outside the country and has flair for general security education.