I’ll bequeath to Nigeria a modernised, motivated police force, Buhari promises

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja said he would like to bequeath to the country a modernised and motivated police force.

He spoke during the commissioning of operational vehicles and other assets, at the Police Headquarters.

“My vision is to bequeath to our nation a legacy of a reformed, modernised, fully-equipped, highly-motivated, and citizens-focused Police Force that is re-oriented to the virtues of professionalism, respect for rule of law, due process and best international practices in their operations.

“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,” he said.

President Buhari, who acknowledged the funding challenge facing the force, pledged that the Federal Government would continue to enhance funding as well as work towards meeting manpower requirements and welfare needs of the force.

He noted that the full commencement of the “Nigeria Police Trust Fund will further assist in meeting the operational and logistics requirements of the Force,” adding that 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.”

Notwithstanding the achievements so far recorded by the force, President Buhari charged its leadership to “avoid complacency in the efforts towards ridding the country of crimes.”

He enjoined the leadership of the force “to continue to give a new orientation to officers of the force such that they can appreciate the virtues of policing with civility and within the dictates of the law and ensure that the institution regains its position of confidence and respect from Nigerians.”

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The president said that officers and other personnel of the police force “must take cognizance of the fact that, in the discharge of your duties, you shall not only be judged by the number of crimes you have stopped or the number of convictions you have secured, but also the extent to which the process of achieving your statutory mandate conforms to professional and legal standards.”

Stressing that security of lives and property of Nigerians is a constitutional obligation, President Buhari said the “Police is central to the process of meeting this obligation,” adding that “It is for this reason that I have always prioritized the Police as a critical agency in the internal security architecture of the country.”

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