CPN Ready to Partner NSCDC on Safe School Initiative – Omolona
…as Agency Holds Workshop to Prepare Officers for Election
The Child Protection Network (CPN) has expressed its readiness to partner with the Nigeria Security Civil Service Defence Corps (NSCDC) for a successful Safe School Initiative program for the benefit of children.
The Ondo State Coordinator of CPN, Mrs. Olabisi Omolona, made this known in a conversation with the media shortly after the training.
She said the Safe School Initiative aims to enhance the safety of students and teachers in the face of rising insecurity and the resurgence of mass abductions.
According to her, the Safe School portal was designed to streamline school registration and enable swift, coordinated responses from security agencies during attacks.
Omolona, who participated in a one-day workshop organized by the NSCDC to equip its personnel with the skills to address emerging issues related to the election via Zoom, appreciated the agency for the support extended to CPN for the well-being of children in the state.
She affirmed that the training came at the right time for citizens to exercise their civic rights and reminded them that their votes are the only power they have to bring about change.
She emphasized the importance of maintaining peace during and after the election, saying that children suffer the outcomes of violence, while also calling on mothers not to allow their children to be used as thugs.
In her remarks, the Safe School Coordinator for NSCDC, Ondo State Command, Yemi Elizabeth Agbede, explained that the workshop focused on building officers’ capacity to handle various societal challenges, including gender-based violence and child abuse.
“As the election approaches, once we are able to choose our leaders correctly, we will see that policies and political will drive enabling laws to reduce crimes against people,” she said.
Agbede expressed confidence that NSCDC officers would be well-prepared to respond to election-related and societal challenges.
“With what we have learned, we strongly believe that our NSCDC officers, particularly our Safe School Desk officers across the local governments, will be at their best in responding to cases of gender-based violence, human trafficking, child labor, and we will also be able to check for vote-buying and ensure that the election goes on safely and peacefully,” Agbede added.
