Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the N135 billion
earmarked for Police Reforms between 2010 and 2013.
This mandate followed a motion by Sen. Abubakar Tutare
(PDP-Taraba) on the level of funding and implementation of
the Nigeria Police Force Reform Programme.
Tutare said the Federal Government in 2010 initiated a police
reform to address the lack of offices, residential
accommodation, operational vehicles as well as
communication equipment.
He said the reform was aimed at overhauling the force and
make it "more professional, effective and efficient in the
discharge of its duties with a takeoff grant of N78 billion''.
He said despite the takeoff grant of N57 billion appropriated
between 2011 and 2013, "there is nothing to show that the
reform agenda is ongoing in the Nigeria Police Force,'' he
said.
The Senate Leader, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba, said beyond
poor funding, the Nigeria Police Force was being hampered
by what he described as "structural defect''.
Ndoma-Egba said the situation called for the creation of state
police to ensure effective policing of the country.
"The mentality of the police is still rooted in our colonial
history. No matter how much you bring, you are not going to
change the police.
"The idea of a single police for all the country is inconsistent
with a federal system.
"This motion affords us the opportunity to restructure the
police in line to what is obtainable in a federalism,'' Ndoma-
Egba said.
Sen. Umaru Dahiru (PDP-Sokoto) observed that considering
the poor level of policing in the country in recent times, there
was the need to create state police.
"I will certainly support creation of state police as 2015
approaches. As it is today, nobody can trust the federal police
to provide security for the people.
"The time is ripe for us to include state police as key issue for
discussion at the national conference,'' Dahiru opined.
Contributing to the debate, Sen. James Manager (PDP-Delta),
said: `what we should do is to reopen the debate on
decentralisation of the police.
"There is something organically wrong with the police and
Nigerians have to decide whether a central police or
decentralised police is appropriate,'' Manager said.
Also, Sen. Smart Adeyemi (PDP- Kogi), stressed the need to
review the way and manner the police funds were being
managed to ensure adequate welfare for police personnel.
"We need to find out what is happening to their allocation and
how money is being disbursed to the police.
"There is nothing wrong with having a state police.
"We must begin to look at ways to make a policeman
committed and passionate about his job by providing them
with the good things of life,'' Adeyemi said.
Sen. Oluremi Tinubu (APC-Lagos), while supporting the call
for state police, urged the Senate to avoid trivialising the issue
of security of the people.
"The entire nation is not happy with the police. We requested
for state police but many of us voted against it here.
"We as the Senate can do something about it right here before
it even gets to the national conference," Tinubu said.
Sen. Ahmed Makarfi (PDP-Kaduna) urged the Senate to find
out how the funds were being utilised.
"If there is no efficient utilisation of the money, there is no
way the reform can succeed.
"We may be having problem over the struggle for who
controls the funds contributed for the police reforms,''
Makarfi said.
Sen. Uche Chukwumerije (PDP- Abia) called for adequate
funding of the police in the same way that huge allocations
were provided for the army.
"More funding should be provided for police even above what
the military is being given because they are closer to the
people.''
Sen. Sani Saleh (APC-Kaduna) said a competent committee
should be set up to carry out the police reforms programme.
"You can't ask the police to reform itself or the Inspector
General of Police to begin quarreling with the ministry over
who controls the funds.
"A competent committee outside of the Nigeria Police should
be set up to urgently carry out the reforms,'' Saleh said.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, observed that
the solution to the problem of the police called for urgent
decentralisation of the police.
"About N140 billion had been made available for the reforms
between 2010 and 2013, but unfortunately with this huge fund
we are not going to achieve anything with the police.
"We must make up our minds to secure our people by
decentralising the police,'' Ekweremadu said.
The Senate President, Sen. David Mark, added voice to the
call for creation of state police to effect structural changes that
would enhance effective policing of the country.
"I used to be a strong advocate of Federal Government Police
or Central Police.
"I am sure you have noticed that sometimes ago I also
changed my mind to say that maybe we should experiment
with state police and see what it is.
"There are basic problems with the current system, but we
must try to address them in a manner that has nothing to do
with politics in any form at all.
"If this country does not survive, we will not play politics
also,'' Mark said.
Via: NAN
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