Senate proposes Institute for quality security services

A bill for the establishment of a National Institute for Security and Strategic Studies has passed first reading in the Senate.

Sponsor of the bill and senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, said the proposed legislation “is a strategic intervention geared towards deepening and strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to train and equip our people to tackle the several security and defence challenges of the 21st century.”

He also noted that apart from addressing the security challenge, it would help promote national inclusion.

“This bill will help fill the void that is already growing, the last piece of the puzzle to achieve a holistic and comprehensive coverage of strategic security development institutions across the country.”

According to him, “the institute which will see the South East host and complete the circle of zones with tactically placed instruments of state defence and security has been applauded by the Senate as worthy to pass through the first reading”, expressing the hope that the legislative initiative will be approved and passed.

“It is worthy of note to state that out of the six geo-political zones, it is only the South East that does not have a key institution for internal and external security. There are already existing institutions in other geo-political zones.”

The chieftain of the Young Progressives Party listed such institutions as the Staff Services Academy, SSA in Lagos, South-West; State Services Technical Academy, SSTA in Calabar, South-South; Institute of Security Studies, ISS, recently upgraded to National Institute for Security Studies, NISS in Abuja representing the North Central; Staff Development Centre- SDC in Kaduna, North West, and the Senior Staff Development Centre-SSDC in Bauchi, North East.

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He disclosed that these institutions are mostly saddled with the training of the Department of State Services, DSS staff as well as other national security staff/recruitment which is managed by the DSS.

The lawmaker pointed out that “certain occurrences have in recent times, further exposed the dire need for greater capacity building, institutional strengthening and the strategic integration of all parts of the nation in the security architecture for total national cohesion and unity.”

“This, therefore, brings home, the urgent need to establish a security training institute in the South East so as to augment the already existing institutions in other geo-political zones and strengthen our national security architecture.”

Senator Ubah, who recalled that the institution was existent in Enugu before it was closed however, stressed that “the essence of this bill is to create a regional balance/inclusion and cultural background which is a core and pivotal element of intelligence, especially now that security and national inclusion are top priorities of the federal government.”

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The institute, when established, he said would nurture and develop dynamic and quality security services in Nigeria through training, examination and certification, adding that it would also be saddled with the responsibility of training students on high standard strategic security studies and intelligence reports.

He further noted that the establishment bill would also promote and enhance the general development of security by conducting research programmes into security and allied subjects with special emphasis on innovative global security practices while creating security awareness among the general public.

The lawmaker added that it would not only create employment opportunities but also engender social inclusion as well as intensify security awareness in the South East.