How police can function effectively, by Minister

The Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Dingyadi spoke with NICHOLAS KALU on national security and the challenges facing the police. Excerpts:

What are the main challenges to facing the police?

The main problem of the police all along has been insufficient funding. There is really need for better funding for the police, if it has to perform optimally. I think Mr President has adequately appreciated this. That is why about three months ago, he signed a bill into law that would establish the Police Trust Fund. This fund is going to be managed by this ministry through a board that would particularly take care of the training aspect, the equipping and general welfare, in terms of providing better office accommodation, providing better residential accommodation for the police and to ensure that, by and large, we improve their welfare. We would endeavor to see all these things are improved and then, we would not expect anything less from the police in terms of performance and in terms of ensuring the security and safety of lives and property in this country.

Talking about the Trust Fund, when are we expecting it to take off?

About a month ago, we set up a ministerial committee that is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the smooth takeoff of the trust fund. I think they are on course and very soon they will submit their report to us. What we want the committee to do is find office accommodation for the trust fund, determine the structure of the place and assist in scouting for the needed staff that will run the organisation. So, we are expecting a report of this committee anytime this week and by the end of this December and early January, we hope that the trust fund will take off. They will start the real business of ensuring they discharge their functions and a new beginning for the police force in this country. The aim of the establishing the trust fund is to ensure we take care of their training needs, equipment, and infrastructural development, ICT, intelligence gathering, to ensure that we have the kind of crime data available to the police to enable them manage the security situation in the country. These are the kinds of things we would pay special attention to and I think by the time we are able to do this, the other things that are in the normal budget would also be there be and we would continue to ensure the police runs effectively. We are looking at a better, more enhanced police force.

The recruitment of 10, 000 policemen has generated controversy. The Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police are at daggers drawn. As the minister in charge of the police, what would be your take on the situation?

The matter is already in court. I would not want to talk about it, and I should let the law to take its course.

It appears the police lacks adequate manpower to confront the seeming increasing security situation in the country? How do you intend to deal with this?

The President has adopted a multi-dimensional approach to the situation. He has given us directives to ensure we recruit 10, 000 policemen annually until 2023. So, before the end of his administration, we would be having an additional 40, 000 policemen. In addition to that, we would also go into this community policing policy to ensure that we get the right hands from the various communities to assist in policing their own communities. They would be working with the policemen. We would be working with community leaders, religious leaders and so on. They would be working along with the conventional policemen in those communities. It would be expanded to ensure that the communities themselves are involved in their own security. It is very important. We are in support of community policing 100 per cent. The administration is bringing up the idea and giving it all the necessary support and encouragement. Our intention is to involve Nigerians. We get the communities to be involved. They are the ones who know the nooks and crannies of their own communities and they would assist the police in ensuring peace in those areas. So, it is a very good development and we are pursuing it by the grace of God. It is coming up very soon and we are going to engage everybody, particularly  traditional rulers, community leaders to ensure the programme is a success.

There seems to be a perceived negative image of the police by the public? What do you think about this?

The situation is that people have to learn to live together with the police. People have to cultivate the habit of regarding policemen as their friend. This can only work when they accept one another as their partner to fight crime. The police in this country have been up and doing and very friendly with the community, and we expect a reciprocal kind of relationship from the communities to accept policemen around them and regard them as their own partners in progress. We would continue to strengthen this enlightenment campaign to ensure that Nigerians see policemen as their own friends and the police also see Nigerians as their responsibility; that they are there to serve and protect. I think when we do this, the relationship would improve, the image would also be better.

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What is the status of the Police Reform Bill?

Just last week, it was introduced on the floor of the Senate and we are introducing it to ensure that it scales through. The import of this by the time it gets through is that the general reform of the police is put into consideration to ensure that all these things we are talking about are well taken care of, particularly the infrastructural development of the police force in this country, in terms of office, residential accommodation, logistics and so on. The essence is to have a better police force that can compare favourably all over the world. This would include also other benefits such as their own income to ensure that we give reasonable pay that they can take home and take care of their children. By the grace of God, it would come into effect. The government is committed to it. There is that administrative will. Once these things are put into law, there are going to ensure the police is well taken care of.

What would you say to people who feel a Ministry of Police Affairs is unnecessary when there is a Ministry of Interior?

The President, when he was swearing in the newly appointed ministers, indicated why he had to reestablish the Ministry of Police Affairs. Among other reasons were that he wanted to have a new police force that would measure favourably and compete with other policemen across the globe. And even to improve the security in this country and improve the police in general terms to be in tune with the agenda of the president, that is moving to the next level. This he intended to do by improving the equipment, improving the ICT, and improving the welfare of the police generally, to ensure that they perform to the highest expectation. With this kind of political leadership, we believe this is going to be achieved and we are doing what we can to ensure that we improve the standard, performance and efficiency of the police in this country.

You are quite new at the helm of affairs. How has the journey been so far?

It has been very challenging, and it is too early to count achievements, because we are just three months old here. Now, we are here as a ministry, we are taking all the stock to ensure we have a smooth take-off and with the new commitment of the Buhari administration, we are going to make it. Most of the challenges had to do with the funding. This is being taken care of. The budget provisions are much better. If you add it to the trust fund, this would go a long way in ensuring that the police force in this country is given a better facelift.

 

The main problem of the police all along has been insufficient funding. There is really need for better funding for the police, if it has to perform optimally… people have to learn to live together with the police. People have to cultivate the habit of regarding policemen as their friend. This can only work when they accept one another as their partner to fight crime’