By Olukayode Idowu
The need for synergy and collaboration of all security agencies towards safety of schools across the country has been reiterated.
Speaking at the training of 91 officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on viable strategies to keep schools secured in the country, the NSCDC’s Commander of the National School Security and Emergency Response Centre, Dr Tersoo Shaapera, said the creation of a team to respond to distress call from schools by all the security agencies is important as security of the schools is uppermost.
He said that the various teams across security agencies should be able to work together during emergency to prevent attacks on schools or confront threats on schools.
The NSSRCC Commander said that participants would be taught the basics of safe schooling, with communities and schools taught strategies to keep school safe.
He disclosed that instructors would be trained on how to educate schools to get registered with the corps to promote visibility.
He said that the School Protection Response Squad that had been launched by security agencies would help in tackling reports of insecurity in schools.
He noted that: “The responsibility of the centre is to alert the squad when the need be to either tackle kinetic or non- kinetic crisis.”
The NSCDC Commandant-General (CG) Dr. Ahmed Audi, on his part while disclosing that the experts saddled with the responsibility of the training the participants were drawn from the Armed forces, Department of State Services (DSS), NSCDC amongst others, said that the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) is determined to develop capacities of instructors for the safe school training programmes.
Audi, represented by Deputy Commandant-General (DCG) in charge of Crisis Management, Nnamdi Nwinyi, said the workshop was a train-the-trainer workshop, intended to enhance the competencies of instructors and facilitators.
Audi said that another safe schools coordinators course is slated for senior officers of the Corps in the North-East Zone from Sept. 6 till Sept. 8, 2023.
He said: “North Central Zone is for Sept.18 till 20 while arrangements have also been completed for a similar training in all the other geo-political zones.
“This arrangement is in deliberate attempt to decentralised the training from Abuja to states and local government areas were majority of schools are situated.
“This will also allow host communities of schools the opportunity to participate in the trainings and be better equipped to join in the fight to protect schools in their domain,” he said.
The CG reiterated that the programme is developed by the Federal Government to enhance protection of schools and host communities against violence and attacks.
“Some of the responsibility of the Centre amongst others includes advocacy, awareness creation and capacity development of critical stakeholders.
“It is imperative to mobilise synergy among security agencies and to build security resilience with other relevant stakeholders,” he said.
According to him, all participants had been carefully selected after putting into consideration their level of knowledge, experience and past contributions in drill and arms handling.
While addressing the participants, he said he hoped that at the end of the workshop, they would be better informed and prepared to deliver on the mandate of preparing their subordinates for better service delivery.
