We’ll Soon Tackle Challenges Confronting Police, Osinbajo Promises

Paul Obi in Abuja

The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, thursday said Nigeria would soon tackle all the challenges confronting the police force in the task of providing adequate internal security around the country.

Osinbajo stated this at the 2017 National Security Summit with a theme: ‘Forging Partnerships for Effective Strategies to Curb the Menace of Kidnapping, Recurring Farmers- Herders Clashes and Criminality in Nigeria’ held in Abuja.

The acting president who was represented by the Minister of Interior, Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) stressed that every great nation must pay attention to security.

Osinbajo added that the resolving farmers and herders clashes which is at the front burner of insecurity, remains a cardinal objective of the administration.

“There is improved security especially in the North-east. We are now face with rural banditry which has post a security threat.

“Security management is for the entire populace. We are partnering multinational organisations to improve the security of our country. It is our duty to improve the safety of our citizens,” Osinbajo said .

He maintained that the newly launched national security plan will help create the synergy among security agencies needed to combat crime and other forms of terrorism.

“I want to assure the Nigeria Police Force of our administration support in line with global practices. The man-power shortages is been tackled with the recruitment of 10,000 policemen.

“Let me call on all to intensify their efforts in making Nigeria a safe place. We can confidently deliver a secured country,” the acting president said.

Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, also disclosed that for Nigeria to meet up the United Nations requirement of one police officer to 400 people, Nigeria police needs to recruit additional 135,000 officers in order to effectively provide security for Nigeria’s estimated population of 182 million.

“Consequently, if this requirement is taken into consideration, the Force needs to recruit at least 31,000 police officers yearly for the period of at least five years from now,” Idris stated.

Also, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitàn Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, harped on the strategic role of traditional rulers in combating insecurity.

He said: “We have been discussing about security issues in this country. I think we need to pay more particular attention to investing in morals, very strong moral values, equity and invest more in the strength of our diversity.
“If we focus more on those critical issues in our dear country, the many and other security challenges we are having will not be this much.

We should ask ourselves this questions:
“Why are people aggrieved, why are they frustrated? Why are they going out of the confines of the law to engage in some certain things? Are we all just? Are we fair in our dealings across board as a country? Are we taking sides? Why are the other party grieved?,” the Ooni asked.

“These are critical issues we should all look at in this country. If we focus more on these fundamental issues, we will not have all the issues we are having right now.
“If we invest more on our diversity, which is our greatest strength in the country, that we should know that our diversity is our greatest strength.”

“Security matters are very sensitive, but how are we investing in moral values even in our domestic homes in our children, domestic workers and others we have dealings with.”

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, called for concerted efforts between government and traditional institutions for a more secured nation.

Abubakar urged government to constantly reach out to traditional institutions for collaboration in the fight against insecurity.

Further, the Obi of Owa and Chairman of Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers (DSCTR), Chief Emmanuel Efeizomor explained that “the Police must be ready to work together with traditional rulers.

“We must agree to apply what is called Ombudsman; the Ombudsman is the situation where the traditional rulers will represent government at the grassroots. And it makes it possible that government decisions should be carried out.”
According to him, “in the area of security, there should be no gap between government and royal fathers. In getting a third party in-between, the question of insecurity has been made more serious.

“That’s why you find people bringing politics into it; and now criminals are succeeding. In the past, it has never been so.

“My appeal to government is that they must get their links with the people, with the traditional rulers very close. Work with the royal fathers, because they are the first citizens of this country even though, they don’t have money, they don’t have power, that’s why the situation have now turned up side down,” Efeizomor added.

Also, the Pere of Akugbene-Mein Kingdom of Delta State, Pere Stanley Luke Kalanama VIII, called for improved and better relationship between the Police and the traditional institutions.
He urged the police and other security agencies to see traditional rulers as partners in the fight against crime and terrorism.

The event witnessed presentations from several security experts, senior police officers among other staekholders.