NSCDC Committed To Protecting Creative Sector As Critical Nat’l Asset – Ekundayo

The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ogun State Command, Commandant Remi Ekundayo, has reassured the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) of the commitment of officers and men of her Command to safeguard the rights of authors as part of the Corps’ mandate to protect national critical assets and infrastructure.

Ekundayo said this when she received the Director-General of NCC, Dr John Asein, and representatives of the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) recently at the NSCDC State Command in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The Commandant thanked the Director-General for coming personally to the Command as a show of support following the attack on officers and men of NSCDC and NCC by hoodlums during an anti-piracy operation led by NCC operatives at Sabo market, Sagamu, Ogun State.

She said the visit would go a long way to boost the morale of the officers and the Command, knowing that their gallantry and dedication to duty are well appreciated by the right owners and other stakeholders in the sector.

Underscoring the negative impact of piracy on the creative sector, the Commandant called on market authorities and traders to shun pirated materials, especially books, in the interest of national development.

She also called on rights owners to support the NCC as they explore both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, including sustained public enlightenment and copyright education in their anti-piracy campaign.

Earlier in his remarks, the Director-General of the NCC, Dr. John Asein, thanked all enforcement agencies, particularly the NSCDC, for always rising to support the Commission in its anti-piracy drive.

He commended the Commandant and her officers for the professional way they contained the ugly incident in Sagamu, saying that every effort they put into copyright enforcement contributes significantly to the sustenance of the creative sector.

Dr Asein again described piracy as an economic crime that undermines creativity, innovation and development and urged stakeholders to stand strong in the fight against it.

He renewed NCC’s commitment to sanitizing the copyright sector for the benefit of authors, investors and Nigeria’s creative future.

In line with the theme of this year’s independence anniversary celebration, Dr Asein called on all hands to be on deck for a greater nation where creativity is protected and rewarded.