The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, has explained why an officer of the State Security Service (SSS) cleaned the shoes of the minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, in public.
Last Saturday, a 30-second video clip showing an armed security official cleaning Dambazau’s shoes at the NSCDC Academy in December, went virile, and stirred controversies on social media.
Dambazau, who oversees the NSCDC, police, customs, immigration and prisons, came under severe criticism by Nigerians, following the release of the footage.
However, reacting in a statement, spokesman of the NSCDC, Okeh Emmanuel, justified the action of the security personnel and absolved the minister of blame.
“However, the news being peddled by some online media houses, alleging that the Honourable Minister of Interior Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) converts SSS officer to a “shoe shiner” is baseless, fraudulent and malicious.
“It is a diversionary tactics of the evil ones to cast aspersion on the personality of the minister.
“The honourable minister who was on a visit to NSCDC facilities at Sauka never beckoned on any of his aides to come and clean his shoe as alleged.
“Rather, if the “aide” carried out such a function, it means it was done voluntarily without any iota of compulsion.
“The demonstration by the SSS personnel was a mark of respect for his principal since he was not compelled to do so.
“It should also be noted that a man of the calibre of the minister, who was one-time Chief of Army Staff is entitled to aides that could help in ensuring that he looks neat at all times,” said Mr. Emmanuel.
The statement also said Dambazau is currently on a “working visit to the North-East to assess the condition of the affected victims of insurgent attacks presently at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.”
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Really mark of respect in my opinion the officer who carried out this act should be demoted. It also goes to show that there are a lot of free hands in service. The minister should have simply said no to this kind gesture.
Very very shameful I also think the minister should have stopped him.
This troll of a spokesman, Emmanuel Okeh, should go hang his head in shame. Instead of offering this lame excuse, he could have done usual thing of denying the political jobber being one of their own. Clearly, the organizational structure within the NSCDC encourages, nay, demands this inordinately high level of eye service. Remember ‘my oga at the top’? Well, I wish Mr Okehampton a thriving career in shoe shining! And to think that NSCDC officials now carry lethal weapons is extremely scary.
Okey Emmanuel, the spokesperson of NSDCC should have kept quiet and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
The explanation is even more shameful. Why give a wrong and embarrassing situation more press time.
REALLY!!! I am not surprised. I am not ashamed as well. If this idiot can tell me when it has been recorded that the Queen, Her Majesty, Elizabeth II, has ever had such service in public in her over 60years of being queen, I might give his idiotic statement a pass. Maybe he should come and shine my shoes and show me some respect because coming up with this garbage does not show any right thinking Nigerian any respect at all. Where did the idiot school sef? Getting too annoyed now for words.
This had shown the base level we have degenerated as a people. Obama will not allow this to happen in secret, not to talk of in the open. Barack will simply wipe his shoes himself. Nigerian bigman mentality is terrible. And for the fool to come out in defence of this absurdity is even annoying.