The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, says that refining the security and safety skills of its staff is crucial as it will bolster their efforts in ensuring peace and security, which are necessary ingredients for the success of development programmes.
Speaking at the end of a three-day in-house Staff Capacity Building for Drivers, Security and Technical staff at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Director of Administration, Dr Charles Akpan, stated that security personnel must continually upgrade their skills to ensure a secure and safe environment for work.
He said: “The Security Department has been doing well and has not been found wanting. Having sharpened these skills through this training, the sky will be their stepping stone.
“It has been an interesting training and it is what our staff need. I am sure they have been yearning for it over the years. Now that we have started this, I can assure you that it is going to be a yearly exercise.”
Akpan said that the gains from the training could not be overemphasized, stating: “I believe that at the end of the day, the training will have a huge impact on the staff. They will be armed with better skills, new security techniques and more awareness for our drivers for safety on the roads.”
The Director said he was confident that the training would improve the technical skills of the staff to enhance efficiency in the discharge of their duties, adding: “We will ensure that the skills learnt will be put into practice.”
Earlier in his presentation, a security expert, Dr. Samuel Job, underscored the importance of good communication skills in providing security.
He noted: “Security guards must always exercise extreme caution in what they say and how they say it. Comments meant as light-headed remarks amongst colleagues using two-way radios can be overheard by others and either taken out of context or reflect badly on the security staff.
“It is also important that security guards when giving information to anyone, give only precise details and avoid exaggeration.”