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Safe school initiative: NSCDC inaugurates technical advisory committee

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has urged members and stakeholders at the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) to provide expert support to the centre for effective implementation and success of the safe schools programme.

Audi made the call during the inauguration of a 21-member Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) on Friday at the Corps National Headquarters, Abuja.

He noted that the safe schools programme has become necessary considering the importance of education on human capital development and overall national development, thus making it expedient for government to deploy extraordinary measures to tackle the spate of attacks on school facilities in Nigeria.

Director, Public Relations, NSCDC, Mr Olusola Odumosu in a statement quoted the CG, as explaining that NSSRCC is 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.

“Therefore, 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 the safety of schools children,” Audi said.

The Commandant General maintained 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.

He reiterated that the inauguration of the TAC is in compliance with section 8, sub-section II of the SOP which provides that in order to ensure effective and efficient administration of the programme, “the CG shall appoint and request for representation from relevant stakeholders, TAC to provide compass and direction to the NSSRCC.”

Speaking in an address of welcome, the Commander of the centre, Dr Tersoo Shaapera, explained that NSCDC has been made the lead agency with the mandate to host the NSSRCC.

He added 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.

He corrected the misconception that the Corps is in conflict with any sister agency or stakeholders in the implementation of a national plan on safe schools, explaining that the national document on implementation of the Safe Schools Programme, clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of every agency.

Members of the committee were drawn from government security agencies, Federal ministries and other critical stakeholders which include representatives of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), National Security Adviser (NSA), Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director General, Department of State Security (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ministries of Education, Defence, Finance, Budget and National Planning.

Other stakeholders represented in the committee are the Governors Forum, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) NAPTIP, Ministries of Justice, Interior, Humanitarian Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Independent Consultants and the NSCDC CG as the chairman.

The representatives of the Chief of Defence Staff, National Security Adviser, Ministries of Defence, Education, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Nigeria Governors Forum and Save the Children, in their goodwill messages, congratulated the Corps for the inauguration and assured of support in the implementation of the safe schools programme.

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