The Commandant General (CG) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi has received a draft copy of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), meant for use at the National Schools’ Security and Emergency Response Centre, located at the National Headquarters of the Corps in Abuja.
The formal presentation was done by Prof Terhemba Tyoor, a security expert and Chairman of the Committee set up for the Development of Standard SOP for the successful implementation of the National plan on safe schools.
The CG hinted that he is going to study the SOP carefully and hopes it will stand the test of time, promising to engage with other stakeholders involved in the Safe Schools project for their inputs and contributions towards confronting threats and attacks on our educational institutions.
He added that such a centre cannot run without guiding rules and commended the committee’s dedication and commitment which led to the timely completion of the given assignment.
The Corps helmsman assured of convening stakeholder’s meetings to validate the document before producing it for the centre.
According to him, the Safe Schools initiative programme began in March 2021 when the NSCDC conducted a vulnerability survey of schools in the country, and a lot of schools in the country were found to be vulnerable.
In his remarks at the occasion, the Chairman of the Committee, Prof Terhemba Tyoor, explained that the draft SOP was divided into eight sections which deal with different Operational Methodologies and Procedures among others.
Tyoor corroborated the need to bring together stakeholders from the Police, Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Army, UNICEF, and the Federal Ministry of Education, among others, to make positive inputs as proposed.
On his part, the NSCDC’s Commander of the National School Security and Emergency Response Centre, Dr Tersoo Shaapera, thanked the CG for his keen interest in the development and seamless takeoff of the centre.
He reiterated that the 11-member committee which was inaugurated by the CG shortly after the official Flagg off of the centre on February 13, 2023, had done justice to the SOP and promised to justify the confidence reposed in them by the CG in the Corps’ efforts towards delivering on the task of securing schools in the country.