FG To Raise N2.1tr Rescue Fund for Police

From Tunde Sanni in Ibadan, 04.19.2010
Piqued by the poor infrastuctural provisions to the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Government has disclosed that it would raise a whopping N2.1trillion from the three tiers of government as a ''rescue mission'' for the force in the next five years.

Under the rescue mission, the three tiers of government are to jointly raise N420 billion yearly to rescue the police from further deterioration.

According to Parry Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) who, as Chairman of  the Police Service Commission (PSC) led a delegation to Ibadan at the weekend, the bail out fund was part of the fall-out of the report of the committee raised by the current administration headed by a former Inspector-General of Police (IGP),Mohammed Dikko Yusufu to look into ways of giving the Nigeria police a new face.

The PSC team however took their turn to fault the crude manner in which many policemen handle civilians, stressing that the commission was determined to parade 21st Century policemen who are in tune with the rule of law and world’s best practices in policing.

They also condemned extra-judicial killings, corruption, unlawful  use of power, brutality and hostility to the public.
Osyande stressed that the bail out fund would be spent on training, retraining, transportation, communication, welfare and all other things that would enhance the operational efficiency of the force.

He said the question of whether the money would be realized or not did not arise, because, according to him, everybody had seen the need to reposition the force to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
He explained that since the Commission came on board in 2008, a lot had been done to reposition the security institution among which was the recalling of those police officers unjustly sacked in the last 10 to 15 years.

He disclosed that the application of the federal character in promoting officers and men of the Force was gone forever, pointing out that promotion would henceforth be based on performance in prescribed examination and availability of vacancies.

He 'federal character would only be used at the point of entry into the Force and not in getting promotion as it was in the past''.

Osayande enjoined the serving police officers and men to reciprocate the gesture by being up and doing threatening that the Commission would not hesitate to throw away any of them found not ready to go along the same pace with the Commission.

The retired DIG condemned wrong practices among police and warned that bad eggs who are unable to ship up through the regular training and improved welfare package being put in place will be shown the way out of the force.

He also disclosed that the Police Affairs Ministry plans to build one police college in Benin and another in Nassarawa with additional plan to upgrade the colleges in Kano and Jos to degree awarding institutions.

Osayande maintained that the target of the commission is to ensure that the 377,000-strong Nigerian police are provided with the wherewithal to do their jobs effectively.

The team, however, pledged to take more seriously the welfare of policemen including promotion, allowances and improved remuneration, adding that a report on how the goals would be accomplished had already been submitted to the government.

He said: “We have discovered that there are extra-judicial killings in the police. We want to change and we must tell ourselves the truth. We are engaged in extra-judicial killings, corruption, use of power unlawfully, brutality, hostility and treating the public in uncivilized manner.

“We know the causes are many. They include poor welfare, unpaid allowances and delayed promotion. All these would stop because the police was not like this before. After we came on board in 2008, we have submitted a report on how to reposition the police to the government.

This is one of the most important developments in recent times.

The rule of law is the most fundamental pillar for success, even in the most rudimentary society.
The downward trajectory of our law enforcement bodies accurately reflects Nigeria's descent into corruption, immorality and the resulting underdevelopment and wickedness that mark us out today.
Everything in society hangs off good laws and their enforcement

The delibrate and criminal castration of the Police (especially Mopol) was an IBB ploy to weaken any forces that could have been used against him. Under IBB, our police, airforce, navy and army (except his presidential guard) were brutally stripped of weapons, salaries and decent barracks. It is common knowledge that, without "roger" supplements, the average policeman and his family would die of hunger and disease.

One can only pray that Jonathan and his new govt can see this one through to the bitter end. Nigeria has sunk so low, it is unbelievable.

good development.