President Muhammadu Buhari has announced his government’s plan to employ at least an extra 10,000 police officers and establish a properly trained and equipped Federal Anti-Terrorism Multi-Agency Task Force that will effectively address the challenge of future insurgency in a sustainable manner.
The President, who seemed to have looked beyond the era of Boko Haram insurgency in the country challenged parents, teachers, community and other leaders to key into the government’s determination to confront the security challenges facing the country, saying the fight against insurgency “is a bottom to top operation.”
Buhari who spoke today at a one-day National Security Summit, organised by the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja said that his government is making efforts to enhance the operational capacity of officers of the Nigeria Police through a tailor-made training programme that will give them the right civil orientation in their roles as guardians of the constitution.
“In order to further strengthen the security of the public space, consideration is being given to the expansion of the CCTV Monitoring System across major cities and towns in the country, while the police accountability mechanism will be strengthened.”
President Buhari made it clear that effective policing of a society is dependent on the level of security consciousness of the citizens and the strength of the understanding that exists between the Policing Agencies and the community.
“This explains why it is generally acknowledged that no Police Force in the world, no matter how well motivated, equipped or trained can successfully operate without the acceptance and support of the various communities.”
The President argued that the need for community input to policing and crime management in Nigeria has even become more imperative considering the current national security challenges in which kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, transnational crimes, terrorism and other organized crimes have evolved to threaten the national values and over-all progress as a nation.
He believed that unemployment, illiteracy, radicalization, negative peer group influence, substance abuse and erosion of family and moral values are social factors that underline criminal tendencies, even as he said that it is in acknowledgement of this that he had defined youth employment as one of the cardinal objectives of his administration.
The President assured that his administration will encourage States to look at State-level Community inter-acting with police under a model that will integrate members of the community to policing functions at the grassroots level.
“It is my high expectation that this National Security Summit will develop pathways for the attainment of this policy focus of the new administration.”
Buhari commended the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force for appreciating the yearning of members of the public by ordering the dismantling of police road blocks which have consistently constituted a dark side of policing and object of discord between the police and the citizens of this country.
“The initiatives of the Inspector-General of Police to also introduce the ‘Safer Highway Motorised Patrol’ Scheme and deploy 555 Patrol Vehicles along all major highways to fill the void created by the enforcement of the order dismantling road blocks is also acknowledged as a proactive action meant to reassure citizens of their safety and security.
“In addition, I also note the commitment of the Force leadership to uphold and enforce Chapter IV of the constitution and commit officers of the Force to the adherence to all United Nations and African Union Charters and other regional global instruments on Human Rights while also introducing Alternative Dispute Resolution procedures to policing functions. Furthermore it is the policy thrust of the Inspector-General of Police which discourages pre-trial detention of citizens while encouraging the practice of intelligence-led crime detection.”
The President noted that these initiatives, if properly implemented, will address those factors that threaten public confidence in the Police and hence, create good grounds for the practice of community-led policing to flourish.
I am tasking the police not only to “say” but to “do” as we are promising to Nigerians.”
He gave assurance that his administration will bequeath to this nation a reformed, re-oriented, well trained, well-equipped and highly motivated Police Force, saying however that this dream can only be attained with the support of the citizens.
“This remains a sacred civic responsibility which all citizens owe this country, especially at this time that we are re-energising our counterterrorism initiatives and working very hard to protect the citizens from crime and guarantee the safety and security of all Nigerians.”
Meanwhile, President Buhari has assured that the resettlement and comfort of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will remain a top priority of his government.
Speaking after a briefing by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Ezekiel Oyebola Oyemomi, President Buhari said that the well-being of about 1.5 million people displaced by the insurgency in the North-East must always be uppermost in the minds of those in government.
The President, therefore, directed the ministry to always be mindful of the pathetic circumstances of the IDPs, and factor them into proposals for next year’s Budget.
“You must help to improve their situation,” the President told the Permanent Secretary and his team of officials.
Dr. Oyemomi briefed President Buhari on the activities of his Ministry as well as the Ministry’s successes and the challenges.
He asked for improved funding for the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in the 2016 budget. [myad]
