Afrigather The Defence Headquarters, on Thursday, launched its Normal Working Process for the Protected College Initiative.
The Protected College Initiative was launched in 2014 after the kidnapping of about 300 college women from Chibok, Borno State, as a part of efforts to make sure that youngsters in battle areas or affected by insecurity proceed with their training.
The initiative is essentially carried out by the Nigeria Safety and Civil Defence Corps with the help of different safety companies.
The launch of the SOP for the navy personnel that may be concerned within the initiative was coming after abductions of college youngsters in Kaduna, the place 287 pupils had been kidnapped and 15 Tsangaya studentsSokoto State.
Talking on the launch of the SOP, the Chief of Defence Workers, Common Christopher Musa, mentioned the SOP would offer vital pointers for members of the Armed Forces to implement the Protected Colleges Initiative inside the confines of worldwide and nationwide legal guidelines.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria stays dedicated to offering each vital help for the safety of college youngsters and different studying establishments in opposition to assaults inside the ambit of Nigeria’s structure.
“The unstable, unsure, complicated, and ambiguous nature of the present safety surroundings requires higher synergy among the many navy and different safety companies,” he added.
He, nevertheless, known as on the stakeholders to work collectively in order to make sure college youngsters are protected at school.
Musa mentioned, “The success of such an initiative doubtless would require the uttermost dedication of all stakeholders who significantly are appeared as much as by the residents of the nation for his or her safety and security. It’s due to this fact within the curiosity of our pricey nation that each stakeholder works assiduously to construct a robust, safer, safer, and affluent future for our youngsters and our beloved nation.”
Delivering the keynote tackle, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (retd.) mentioned the success of the initiative depends upon the collective accountability of stakeholders and residents by taking possession and offering intelligence to safety companies.
He mentioned the transfer displays the Armed Forces’ collective dedication to upholding the sanctity of training and making a conducive surroundings for instructing and studying to thrive.
He mentioned “Regrettably for learners in addition to lecturers at present in colleges, the worry of them changing into potential victims and the trauma created by having their fellow college students and buddies attacked is having a detrimental impression on the standard of training in our Nation.
“This initiative have to be a collective accountability of all our communities. Our residents in any respect ranges of presidency, the civil society and NGO’s should resolve to have protected colleges surroundings for our youngsters by at all times offering the mandatory very important data which is to be acted upon for the nice of all.
“Accordingly, all of us should take collective accountability and possession for the event of this security initiative.”
The Head of Financing, Protected Colleges Secretariat and Technical Working Committee, Ministry of Finance, Halima Iliya, mentioned Nigeria’s academic system has at all times been in deep disaster starting from kidnapping and terror assaults.
She mentioned the protected college initiative was delayed as a result of an absence of coverage and budgetary allocations to supply wanted help.
