Members of the House of Representatives on Thursday expressed overwhelming support for the bill which seeks to establish Police Trust Fund as part of efforts to ensure adequate funding of provision of equipment and other related facilities for the security agency.
The lawmakers during the debate on the bill, sponsored by Olamide Johnson, emphasised the need for adequate staffing, training and retraining of Police personnel to enable them to perform their constitutional role of prevention and detection of crime, apprehension of offenders, preservation of law and order, protection of life and property and due enforcement of all laws and regulations under a decent condition of service for its personnel.
In his lead debate, Johnson explained that the Police Trust Fund legal framework seeks to “provide for a multi-faceted and sustainable reform and general overhaul of the Nigeria police in response to the clamour for this as the foremost security institution.
“Succinctly put, the Police Trust Fund bill seeks to provide for a professional police service that has the trust and confidence of the Nigerian populace because it delivers quality service under very conducive working environment.”
While expressing displeasure over delay in the release of annual budgetary provision for the Police, the lawmaker, noted that the establishment of the Police Trust Fund will help in attracting grants and aids from international community.
“It is common knowledge that the Nigeria police force remains one of the most underfunded in the world and one of the least funded agencies of government despite its onerous responsibility of securing the country and preventing crime.
“For instance, of the N16 billion allocated for Force in the 2016 budget, only N7 billion was released. The major benefit if this bill is passed into law, is that it will open up diverse funding opportunities for the Nigeria Police Force. By opening up funding windows from corporate bodies, aids, grants and assistance from international bilateral and multilateral bodies, the Trust Fund seeks to expand the scope of funding for the Nigeria Police, thereby helping to curb the problem of under-funding,” he assured.
According to him, the 300,000 personnel of Nigeria Police Force is grossly inadequate from the Nigerian population of 182 million. In the hid to meet up with the United Nation ratio requirement of one police officer to 400 citizens of a country, hence the need to recruit additional 155,000 personnel.
On the welfare of the police personnel, Johnson who decried the state of Police barracks across the country, stressed the need for improved condition of service for better productivity.
“Police personnel must work knowing that their welfare and decent condition of service is guaranteed. Today, barracks and police stations are looking like squalors and squatter camps. Policemen on inter state posting are usually left without a place to stay and end up sleeping anywhere available.
“Furthermore, promotion arrears and other allowances are hardly paid and where they are paid, it is untimely. All these dampen the morale of policemen and reduce their ability to perform their duties effectively. This is where the Police Trust Fund comes to bridge the funding gaps and provide for decent and adequate working conditions for the men and women of the Nigeria Police,” he stressed.
While ruling, Speaker Yakubu Dogara referred the bill to the House Committee on Police Affairs for further legislative action.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
