By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North-Central, in Minna)
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba has revealed that the dispute over recruitment between the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Police hierarchy over who should take charge of recruitment into the force has been resolved.
He also disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) needed nothing less than 20, 000 men and officers to meet the security needs of the country.
The IGP spoke in Minna, Niger State, on Thursday September 16, 2021, when he came on a one-day working visit. Though he did not give details of the burning issue which has stagnated the recruitment of over 10, 000 policemen into the force, but he simply said, "now that the dispute is over, recruitment will commence in earnest into the force".
The Police boss however stated that between now and 2022, not less than 20,000 men will be engaged by the force to boost it's manpower. The IGP spoke without indicating if it is the police hierachy or the Police Service Commission that will carry out the exercise.
Addressing officers and men of the Niger state police command at the police headquarters at Dutsen Kura-Gwari, Minna, the IGP said, “Our problem with the Police Service Commission on who recruits is over. The recruitment which we started in 2020 will be completed soon”.
According to the IGP, “By 2020, 20, 000 men would have been added to the force”.
Training and retraining of officers and men of the force, he said, will be given top priority attention now. Police colleges will now be made more functional and trainees in the colleges, “will now eat and sleep there”.
As a member of a National committee looking into the accommodation of policemen in police formations across the country, the police IGP pointed out that the committee has decided that not less than 1, 500 houses are to be provided for the police between now and 2022.
He also said that a committee is presently reviewing police pensions and welfare of officers and men, adding that, "we will work on our emoluments, and pensions. We will also work on our logistics to actualize set objectives.
“There will be a change. We will give you uniforms which you are not getting before. Officers will buy uniforms, rank and file will also get shoes and berrets”. This, according to the IGP, is part of the incentives aimed at improving the Force.
He however encouraged officers and men of the force to be very prayerful for all the plans to materialise because, "the police have too many enemies. If you are regulating human conduct, people will not like you. Therefore you must pray for our dreams to come true", he said.
Meanwhile, the IGP while exchanging views with the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello during a courtesy visit, the IGP urged parents to encourage their "sons and daughters" to join the Nigeria Police Force because, "the organization is a honourable one".
The Police boss spoke with the Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Mohammed Ahmed Ketso, on the need for parents to allow their children to join Nigeria Police Force because of the social service it is providing for the country.
Governor Bello acknowledged the role being played by the police in crime prevention and especially armed banditry and kidnapping in Niger state and promised to always support all the security agencies to enable them effectively perform their constitutional roles. NNL.
