Commandant General, NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi
For effective implementation and success of the Safe Schools Programme.in Nigeria, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), has called for expert support from stakeholders.
Commandant General of the Corps, Dr Ahmed Audi, made the call at the inauguration of a 21-member Technical Advisory Committee, (TAC), of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre, (NSSRCC), at the Corps National Headquarters, Abuja.
Audi points out that the safe schools programme has become necessary considering the importance of education on human capital development and the overall national development, thus making it expedient for government to deploy extraordinary measures to tackle the spate of attacks on school facilities in the country.
In a statement signed by the Director of Public Relations of the Corps, Olusola Odumosu, the CG described the NSSRCC as a critical component of the National Plan for Safe Schools saddled with coordinative, preventive, safety and security responsibilities and responses for schools and host communities in collaboration with the military, other law enforcement agencies as well as relevant stakeholders.
“I call on members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to work in harmony and maximally support the centre for effective implementation and success of the Safe Schools Programme.
“The national plan on safe schools was put in place to facilitate the prevention of attacks and effective protection of schools and host communities from violence and attacks,” he said.
On the essence of expertise, Dr Audi tasked all saying “Support to the centre by those with expertise as carefully selected to serve on this committee will result in the success of the programme and safety of schools children”, the Corps helmsman said.
He adds that shortly after the launch of the centre on February 13, 2023, a committee of experts was constituted to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and implementation framework to guide the operations of the centre in line with global best practices.
Commander in charge of the centre, Dr Tersoo Shaapera, explained that the NSCDC is designated the lead agency with the mandate to host the National safe schools response coordination centre and that the inauguration of TAC is of compelling necessity to gain and use the knowledge, expertise and experience of every agency represented in the committee to the advantage of the centre.