President Buhari Promises Total Reformed Police Force

President Muhammadu Buhari friday pledged to bequeath to the country a legacy of a reformed, modernised, fully equipped and motivated Police Force with further vision to raise a citizen-focused police which exhibit a sense of professionalism, respect for rule of law and due process.

The president made the promise at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja while commissioning operational vehicles and other assets for the force.

He tasked the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to be resilient in the commitment to rid the country of crimes.

The president also tasked the police leadership to ensure continuous orientation of police officers with a view to enabling the police discharge their responsibilities with civility and regain the confidence and respect of Nigerians.

A statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the president told the police that they were central to fulfilling the constitutional obligation of securing the lives and property of citizens.

According to him, Buhari said it was against this background that he had always prioritised “the police as a critical agency in the internal security architecture of the country.”

The statement said Buhari also remarked that it was in pursuit of the vision that he approved increment of police salaries, recruitment of 10,000 police personnel every year and also assented to Police Trust Bill.
According to Buhari, the Police Trust Bill was conceived to provide legal backing for public-private platform for fund raising to address the problem of shortage of funds for the police.

“It is in cognisance of this that I approved the re-adjustment of Police emoluments as well as the recruitment of ten thousand (10,000) extra police personnel on an annual basis to motivate and enhance the manpower of the Force.

“It is also in this regard that I assented to the Police Trust Fund Bill to act as a public-private funding framework that will address funding shortages for the Police on a sustainable basis,” the president was quoted.
According to Adesina, Buhari acknowledged the challenge of funding confronting the Nigeria Police Force, pledging that the federal government would continue to enhance funding and simultaneously work towards meeting manpower requirements and welfare needs of the Nigeria Police.

The statement which further quoted Buhari as saying “Nigeria Police Trust Fund will further assist in meeting the operational and logistics requirements of the Force,” added that the president also pledged to “give immediate effect to the Police Trust Fund Act, I have directed the Minister of Police Affairs to fast track the process of its take-off.”

Adesina said Buhari acknowledged that the Nigeria Police Force “has been collaborating effectively with state governments, strategic stakeholders, and other security agencies to restore security in States that were hitherto confronted with the menace of banditry,” and commended the capacity of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu “to efficiently manage limited resources available to the force.”

The statement said Buhari also commissioned the Nigeria Police National Command and Control Centre (NPF-C4i) as well as the first phase of the Nigeria Police Crime and Incident Data Base (NPC & IDB) Centre, urging police leadership to sustain its “zeal for service to the nation.”

It added that earlier in their remarks, Adamu and the Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, commended Buhari for his consistent support to the Nigeria Police Force.

– THISDAY