The Senate on Tuesday concurred with the House of Representatives and passed the Nigerian Police Trust Fund Bill.
Also passed were the Nigerian Institute for Security Studies Bill, Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Bill as well as the Animal Disease Control Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill.
The Police Trust Fund Bill, which was initially passed by the House of Representatives, seeks to provide a legal framework for the management and control of the special intervention funds established under the Act for the training of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Trust Fund will also be utilised to enhance the skills of the personnel of the Police in order to ensure their efficiency, overall performance and constant improvement while they perform their duties.
Also, the Trust Fund will be used to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force has the necessary operational equipment, instructional materials, police stations and living quarters.
It would be recalled that last week, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had promised the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, that the Senate would fast-track its work on both the Police Trust Fund Bill and the Police Reform Bill.
Speaking after the bill was passed on Tuesday, Saraki who presided over the session, revealed that report of the Police Reform Bill will be submitted on the floor of the chamber on Wednesday.
“By passing the Police Trust Fund Bill, we will be creating big strides towards providing and improving security and the policing in our country.
“One of the major concerns has always been the issue of funding. We believe that this bill will provide the funding needed for training and recruitment.
“I am confident that by the time we lay the report on the Police Reform Bill, we would have gone a long way in moving the police in the right direction.
“It is our view that once we have these Police Bills as laws, we will relieve the burden on the military, so that it can focus on its Constitutional responsibility,” the Senate President said.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
