Congress International Limited, publishers of People’s Dividend, a magazine for local governments, is organising a high powered capacity building programme at the local government level tagged: ‘Safer Localities, Safer Nation Programme’.
A press statement over by the Chairman/Publisher of People’s Dividend Magazine, Columba Ogah, in Abuja, said the programme, which is being organised in collaboration with Nigeria’s apex security training institution, National Defence College Nigeria and Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), is a senior executive capacity building programme for all local government security stakeholders in Nigeria would take place in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
According to Ogah, “There is a critical knowledge gap that needs to be filled for local public safety policy formulation and implementation as it concerns human security at the local government level , which is a pivotal tier of governance.
“Against this background and with the obvious public safety and stability challenges facing the nation, a capacity building programme has become imperative to cover this gap within critical stakeholders at the local authority level in order for them to understand their separate and collective roles that community stakeholders must play as to prevent and manage increasing non-violent and extreme crimes such as insurgency, gangsterism, land grabbing, banditry, kidnapping and other activities threatening the developmental activities, lives and assets of the peoples of communities.”
The publisher further noted that, “These activities, which are not yet fully nipped in the bud at the local levels, have become a serious threat to national stability and territorial integrity. Therefore there is an urgent need to establish an annual interactive onference with local authorities and coordinating State public safety outfits and their management authorities with experts to brainstorm with experts over three working days and produce actionable policy with implementation plan.”
The statement added that the programme promises to be a game changer in strategies to address the security challenges facing the nation especially as the programme’s driving philosophy sees that public safety operational mechanism is bottom up from the communities in all LGAs with states as the primary coordinator, while national security or strategic territorial stability mechanism is top down from the federal level.
“A former Head of Defence Training of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, Major General Ishola Williams (retd.) is the Faculty Chair for the programme.
“Also, the Provost, Centre for Strategic Research and Studies, the think-tank of the National Defence College (NDC), Professor A.O. Ahmed, has comfrimed the approval by the Commandant of the NDC, Rear Admiral Olotu for the collaboration to take place and expressed excitement at the opportunity for the NDC to work together with the Congress International Limited and ALGON to make a positive impact in the security landscape of the nation, whilst expressing a firm belief that the collaboration will significantly contribute to fostering dialogue and initiatives aimed at enhancing security at the local government level.”
Professor Ahmed observed that, “By bringing together key stakeholders, experts and practitioners, the conference has the potential to generate valuable insights and recommendations to address security challenges and promote safer communities nationwide.”
The statement also disclosed that participants expected at the programme included all 774 local government chairmen, security officers of all 774 local governments areas, traditional rulers, commissioners for chieftaincy and local government affairs, security advisers to state governments, heads of security agencies, the National Security Adviser (NSA), National Assembly (NASS) members, governors, and the Presidency.