The Citizens Right Concern Enhancement Initiative, also known as the Human Rights Protection Congress, has delivered a powerful memorandum to the Delta State House of Assembly, urging lawmakers to completely overhaul the 2020 Community Security Corps Law, describing it as a "dead-on-arrival" policy that failed to achieve any meaningful security progress.
The organization was represented at the public hearing by Edewor Egedegbe, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and C. O. Jessa, Esq., the group’s Legal Adviser. The session, held by the Joint Committee on Bills and the Committee on Peace and Security, attracted wide participation on Friday, May 9, 2025, at the Assembly complex in Asaba.
“We commend the lawmakers for revisiting this important legislation,” Egedegbe said, adding that the memorandum presented aimed to “fill gaps the proposed amendment missed and ensure the bill reflects community realities for more effective collaboration with other security agencies.”
The group’s five-page document emphasized the role of community and religious leaders in securing local neighborhoods, advocating their formal inclusion in the agency’s framework. “These leaders are the heartbeat of the grassroots; they foster trust, mediate conflicts, and can organize community-driven safety plans,” Jessa noted during the presentation.
Among the key recommendations was the amendment of Section 5(b) to specifically reference community leaders and members, replacing the vague term “communities.” Similarly, Section 6(2) was flagged for expansion to include Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), persons with disabilities, women, traditional rulers, and hunters' associations, to ensure inclusive representation and oversight.
In a major operational shift, the Initiative called for a revision of Section 7(g) to raise the number of recruits from thirty to fifty per INEC ward, citing the scale of local security challenges. They also demanded stronger welfare provisions for corps members, recommending that compensation for permanent injuries be mandatory ("SHALL") and not optional ("MAY"), along with life benefits rather than just a fixed salary equivalent.
The group also criticized the omission in Section 29(4), which failed to define which government agency would provide counterpart funding. They highlighted the need for thorough profiling of recruits, stressing that “the quality of personnel will determine the success or failure of this security initiative.”
Finally, the human rights group urged civil society organizations across Nigeria to shift from “agonizing to organizing,” asserting that non-state actors must be part of the legislative process to help shape laws that govern the people. “If we truly represent the people, then we must be present where decisions about their safety and rights are being made,” Egedegbe concluded, receiving commendation from lawmakers for the “brilliant points” raised.
