Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja charged members of the Police Service Commission (PSC) to work harmoniously with the Nigeria Police and redouble their efforts to ensure that the Force delivers on its responsibilities.
The president gave the charge when he received annual report from members of the commission including the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, led by its Chairman, Mr. Musiliu Smith in the State House.
The IG and the commission have had a mea hat he would like to see close communication and understanding between the two bodies.
“Government will require that you redouble your efforts and ensure that the Nigeria Police Force receives the required assistance for optimum service delivery. I wish to see close communication and understanding between you and the Nigeria Police. This is necessary for the overall efficiency and effectiveness in securing Nigeria,” the president said.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Acesina, said the president also noted that “the commission has the most challenging responsibility of carrying out oversight responsibilities of the Police Force.”
According to the statement, the president charged the commission to put the police in order, saying he personally believed that the IG was doing his best to reposition the police as he emphasised the need to make the police force effective.
“The people that comprise this commission are mostly personally known to me and some of them have been through the mill as it were, therefore I expect them to put the Police in order. I personally believe that the Inspector General is doing his best …the Police are always in the frontline and unless we get the police working effectively, the security of this country will remain in doubt,” he also said.
The statement also said Buhari described the mandate of the commission as enormous and called for commitments and sacrifice, pointing out that the tasks of appointment, promotion and disciplinary control of officers of the Nigerian Police Force, except the Inspector General, are its responsibilities.
“Your assignment is enormous and calls for sacrifice and commitment especially now that almost every country is faced with severe internal security challenges. Nigeria is no exception,”
“I am aware that you have put policies in place to reposition the Police Force in the areas of merit-driven promotion and prompt disciplinary actions. Government will require that you redouble your efforts and ensure that the Police Force receives the required assistance for optimum service delivery,” he was further quoted.
The statement said Smith told the president that, in line with his (president’s) specific directives, the management was gradually putting together a productive Nigeria Police Force that will attract the endorsement of all Nigerians and also
secure the praise of the policemen.
Smith in his speech, told the president that whereas the commission had recruited recruited 6,000 constables into the Nigeria Police Force earlier in the year, it is also currently recruiting another 10,000 set of constables into the force as he proceeded to reel out the challenges which he said had rendered the commission handicapped.
“The burden of inadequate funding has continued used to persist and to the advantage of the commission. The envelope system of federal budgeting has left the commission always financially crippled and unable to attend adequately to its very important constitutional responsibilities.
“The commission has continued to face the reality of inadequate funds to verify and conduct the processes leading to police recruitment, police promotion and police discipline. The Establishment Act 2001 has also not helped in the operations of the commission as certain provisions of the enabling Act have continued to frustrate the attainment of optimum performance by the commission,” he said.
