The National Assembly Tuesday in collaboration with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), kick-started strategic repositioning of its security units with a three-day capacity building workshop for relevant staff.
Leading the pack of those attending the three-day security enhancement capacity – building at the head office of NILDS in Maitama, Abuja, are the Divisional Police Officer ( DPO) in NASS, Chief Superintendent of Police ( CSP), Alex Annagu and the Sergeant – at-Arms, Air Commodore Sani Abdullahi Zakari (rtd).
The workshop, according to the Director – General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, ” is one that has strategic importance to the operations and security of the National Assembly.”
He stated that similar ones organised for staff of Special Duties and Parliamentary Security Directorate yielded far reaching positive results in terms of strategic reforms carried out by management of NASS as recommended.
“NILDS has had a long-standing relationship with the Special Duties Directorate in NASS.
“Specifically, In 2016, we organised an international conference on parliamentary security and the role of the Sergeant-At-Arms to discuss emerging contemporary security challenges and the need for constant re-appraisal of the operational and tactical capability of the sergeant-at-arms to perform optimally.
“One of the most significant outcomes of that conference was the adoption of a blueprint for reforming and restructuring the Sergeant-at-Arms towards greater efficiency and effectiveness.
“One of the most concrete recommendations made to the leadership was the need to professionalise and transform the Sergeant-at-Arms and to create specialised Divisions, namely: Intelligence & VIP Protection Division, Law Enforcement & Emergency Management Division and Chamber & Protocol Division.
