N’Assembly Resumption: NILDS Trains Police, Serjeant-at-Arms 

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

As the National Assembly prepares to resume plenary on September 20, the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has commenced a three-day capacity building workshop to reposition the security architecture of the federal parliament.

The three-day security enhancement capacity-building workshop is being attended by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the National Assembly, Chief Suprintendent of Police (CSP) Alex Annagu and the Serjeant-at-Arms, Air Commodore Sani Abdullahi Zakari (rtd) and the personnel working with them.

The capacity-building workshop, according to the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, “is one that has strategic importance to the operations and security of the National Assembly”.

He disclosed that similar ones organised for the staff of Special  Duties and Parliamentary Security Directorate, yielded far-reaching positive results in terms of strategic reforms carried out by the management of the National Assembly as recommended .

He said: “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 leadership was the need to professionalise and transform the sergeant-at-arms and to create specialised divisions, namely: (i) Intelligence & VIP Protection Division; (ii) Law Enforcement & Emergency Management Division; and (iii) Chamber & Protocol Division. 

“We are glad that the National Assembly adopted this recommendation and the changes made have significantly improved the functions of the sergeant-at-arms.

“We hope to continue to provide capacity support towards further strengthening the capacity of the sergeant-at-arms to better respond to growing security challenges  facing the country.”