By David Dari
In an effort to address insecurity challenges in public and private schools in Nasarawa State a non-governmental organization, Friends of Police, has initiated an awareness and sensitization campaign geared towards fostering a security-conscious mindset within various schools in Nasarawa State.
In his welcome address during a flag off training programme for public school teachers on National Safe School Response Coordination Center (NSSRC) organised by the NGO in Keffi Local Government Area of the state, the national chairman of the association, Mr. Ibrahim Babayo, said the NGO went into collaboration with security agencies in order to mitigate insecurity in schools and their surrounding areas.
“If you recall, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) launched the North Central States NSSRCC on the 7th December, 2023.
“The National Safe Schools Response Coordination is a critical component of the Safe School program recently launched by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
” One of its principal objectives is to create awareness, capacity building and strengthening of security resilience of stakeholders in schools protection”, he said.
Babayo continued,”Therefore, schools safety and emergency response planning have become imperative proactive approach with the hope to prevent and reduce the effects of insecurities that characterized our School environment”.
He said the effort was in tandem with the policy framework of the federal government (ministries of education), with emphasis on globally recognized phases of emergency planning which he said they inludes: Prevention, Preparedness as well as Response and Recovery.
According to him, the enforcement will promote productivity by ensuring that every school would be on the same page and working towards common goals of the federal, state and local governments policy without distractions or disruptions that maybe caused by inappropriate behavior.
“During the occasion, authority was given to states in the North Central and Local Governments to replicate the same pattern of launching the NSSRCC in their respective areas.This order therefore informed the management of Friends of Police in partnership to launch the program at Keffi zone”Babayo stated
According to him, during the said launching ceremony, 30 teachers from 14 public schools were adequately trained.
In his remarks at the occasion the executive chairman of Keffi local government area of the state Hon Mohammed Babashehu described the training programme as apt and also commended security personnel alongside Friends of Police for their professional handling of the recent Yan Shara cult group saga in Keffi.
On their separate remarks at occasion Dr. Hauwa’u Mainoma from Nasarawa State University, Keffi; Irukera Sarah, the Keffi area commander of the NSCDC; and Musa Suleiman, chairman of the Save School Security Initiative, presented diverse strategies to address insecurity during the festive period.
Our correspondent revealed that during the training programme 9 sensitization papers were presented by resource persons mostly from security experts