FG Approve Funds for Recruitment of 10,000 Police Personnel

By Yemi Akinsuyi in Abuja

The Federal Government has approved all necessary funds for the take-off, of the 10,000 Police personnel to be recruited in the next two months.

President Muhammadu Buhari announced this Friday while addressing Policemen at the ceremonial parade marking the grand finale of the 2016 Nigeria Police week.

The president who was represented by the Minister of Internal Affairs Lt. Gen. Abdulrahaman Bello Danbazzau, said presidency had been assured that the exercise would commence under a transparent and credible process with effect from 1 April 2016

According to him, aside addressing the national challenge of youth unemployment, this initiative would bridge the chronic manpower gap inherited by his regime in the police

The president warned that in carrying out the exercise, he expected the Nigerian Police to put national interest in the forefront so that it would be in line with the reforms agenda being pursued under the Ministry of Interior

Also he announced that the Federal government had funded the procurement of over 1,000 patrol vehicles and other logistics to strengthen the operational capacity of the safer highway patrol scheme and support the deployment of police personnel towards security stabilisation and restoration of Civil authority in the North East.

The president further announced that the Federal government had initiated actions aimed at giving effect to the concept of Citizens-led policing and strengthening the technical intelligence capacity of the service as a strategic national approach towards addressing the challenge of highly organised crime on a sustainable basis, adding, “ No nation thrives without security and neither can a nation lay claim to security without an efficient policing service, hence this administration shall continue to support initiatives that will guarantee the reform and modernisation of the Nigeria Police”

He noted that no citizen should be in doubt of the firm determination of the Federal government to bequeath to this nation a reformed re-oriented well trained, well equipped and highly motivated Policing service

The president added that effective Policing of a community was dependent on the level of security consciousness of the citizens and the strength of the synergy that exists between the Policing agencies and the community

Consequently, he warned that no Police service in the world, no matter how well motivated, equipped or trained could successfully operate without the acceptance and support of the citizens.

In his address, the Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase said the 2016 edition of Nigeria Police week celebration was designed to break from the past and to commence a new beginning that would treat the members of public as respect- deserving customers who must always be kings in their policing world as they guide their relatively nascent democratic culture into sustainable heights

The IG noted that on a day like this, they remained united in remembering personnel of the Force who had been fighting side by side their Military colleagues as they advance their common national will to defeat terror elements that had in recent years, been altering over national values in the North East and other parts of the country.

“ We in unison demonstrate our determination to take the criminal battle to the footsteps of elements that continue to threaten our peace and security and remind the nation that with their support, their new police force vows to defeat the threat of terror and other internal security threats”