CITIZENS COMPASS —THE Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, ofr, has restated the determination of the Corps in the protection of schools in the country. He noted that the responsibility of the NSCDC Special Safe Schools Response Squad (SSSRS) is to undertake regular patrols and respond to distress calls alongside response unit of other relevant agencies as may be directed by the Commander of the Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre.
In a press statement e-signed and released to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP by the NSCDC National PRO, CSC Babawale Afolabi revealed that the assertion formed part of the remarks of the NSCDC boss, Dr. Ahmed Audi at the flag-off two-day training workshop for Safe Schools Instructors and Facilitators with the theme ‘Building Capacities for Safe Schools Instructors’ at headquarters of the Corps in Abuja.
In the keynote address delivered by the DCG, Dr. Namdi Nwinyi, his Second-in-Command and Deputy Commandant General in charge of Crisis and Disaster Management who represented the NSCDC helmsman, Dr. Audi tasked the 92 participants to cascade the training down the ladder for the success of National Safe Schools Project. ‘Your responsibility after this workshop is therefore to ensure proper and regular training of members of the SSSRS with the view to ensuring that they function professionally within the provision of the SOP of the Centre as well as other relevant laws. I had also directed the Commander of the Centre for immediate devolution of some training programmes to regional, state and local levels’.
He added: ‘to this effect, Safe Schools Coordinators Course has been slated for senior officers of the Corps in the North-East Zone from 6th – 8th September, 2023 while that of North Central Zone is for 18th – 20th September, 2023. Arrangements have also been completed for similar training in all the other Geo-Political Zones and shall be rolled out one after the other.’
The arrangement according to him is in deliberate attempt to decentralise the training from Abuja to states and Local government where majority of schools are situated, noting that it will also allow schools host communities the opportunity to participate in the trainings to be better equipped in the support for the protection of schools in their domain.
While calling on members of the SSSRS to work relentlessly for the success of the programme, he reminded that some of the responsibility of the Centre amongst others includes advocacy, awareness creation and capacity development of critical stakeholders.
Also speaking in an address of welcome, CSC Tersoo Shaapera, PhD, Commander, NSSRCC said the centre is a physical manifestation of intra, inter, and multi-agency collaboration, cooperation and cooperation which is made possible by the Commandant General who brought the military, police, DSS among others together.
The Commander thanked CG for his selfless leadership and commitment in the protection of schools which he noted began from vulnerability survey conducted by the Corps which provided the basis for which safe schools programme in Nigeria is built today.
According to him, the training was another stage of the implementation drive which is to train Special Safe Schools Rapid Response Squad in accordance with Safe Schools Declaration guidelines for kinetics and non-kinetic operations in State and Local Government where majority of the schools are located.
NAOSNP can report that the participants at the training were drawn from all the 36 states of the Federation and FCT with resource persons carefully chosen from the security sector, academia, ministries and Civil Society Organisations.
