Police Trust Fund to Take off February

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The long-awaited Police Trust Fund is to take off in February after the ratification of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, THISDAY learnt yesterday.

The National Assembly had passed the Police Trust Fund Bill into in January last year while Buhari assented to the bill in April.
There has been clamour by stakeholders for the inauguration of the board of the fund to oversee the full implementation of the law.
But as part of the efforts to implement the trust fund, the federal government had set up an interim implementation committee for the take-off of the Police Trust Fund in October last year.

The 12-member committee headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr. Maurice Mbieri, is expected to draw up the take-off budget for the fund and liaise with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF)for logistic requirements.

The committee made up of top directors of the ministry, notably directors of human resources, police inspection, police service and the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, is to make recommendations for the administrative structure of the fund, the timeline for the take-off and propose a date for the inauguration of the board.

The members of the committee include Mr. Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, Permanent Secretary, Chairman; Dr. Kayode Musbau, Mr. Bombata Babatunde (DHRM), Mrs. Moremi Soyinka-Onijala (DDPIS), and Mr. Afroka Chukudi (SA/Perm. Sec.).

Others are Mr. Joseph Egbunike (CP), Mr. Shehu Usman Shuaibu (AG.CP), Mr. Augustine Saromi (DCP), Mr. Jonathan Towruru (DCP), Mr. Frank Mba (DCP/FPPRO) Mr. Abel Jangnap Zwalchir (ACP) and Mr. Zubairu M.G. (PSD).

Head of Press and Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr. Odutayo Oluseyi, told THISDAY that the interim committee, would present its report to the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, who would submit the recommendations to FEC for approval.

He said the FEC approval would determine the date for the inauguration of the board in accordance with the Police Trust Fund Act.
“The honourable minister set up an inter-ministerial committee; it is an interim committee. It is to fashion out modalities for the implementation of the Police Trust Fund.

“It consists of officers from the police force, officials of the Ministry of Police Affairs and the chairman of that committee is the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr. Maurice Mbieri.

“We also have top directors in our ministry as members. They are director of human resources, police inspection department, police service department and the Force PRO, Frank Mba,” he said.

He stated that the interim committee was looking at a tentative date between January and February for the inauguration of the board.
The PTF, which is expected to be a game-changer for the police, would be funded by a levy of 0.005 per cent of the net profit of companies operating in Nigeria, 0.5 per cent of the total revenue from the Federation Account, any take-off grant and special intervention fund as may be provided by the federal, state and local government and such money as may be appropriated to meet the objective if the Act by the National Assembly.

Other funding sources include aids, grants and assistance from international, bilateral and multilateral agencies, non-governmental organisations and the private sector in addition to grants, donations and investments made by the fund.