Dweleth Morountodun
The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Alhaji Musiliu Smith, has said that government alone cannot fund the police
and other security agencies.
He explains that there will always be serious problem, if the funding of the security agencies is left in the hands of government alone.
The Police boss therefore advocated for independent private sector support to address the myriad of security challenges facing the nation, adding that it can be mitigated with improved funding.
Smith spoke in Abuja when he received in audience a 7-man delegation from the Ad-Hoc Defence and Security Think-Tank Team led by Major Gen A. M Jibril, rtd.
Recall that the Think-Thank Team was set up by President Muhammadu Buhari, to ex-ray the nation’s security challenges and proffer solutions (TTT).
According to Smith, the meeting is to chart a quicker mechanism and adaptable framework to ensure stability and improved national security.
On the composition of the team, he called for inclusiveness of the Nigerian Immigration Services, Nigerian Customs Services, Nigerian Prisons Services, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Commission in view of their vital varying contributions to the security of the nation.
He urged the Team to go round the country and ensure that they get the current state of the security Agencies; their state of readiness in terms of capacity, mobility and conditions of service. He observed that the Service conditions of the officers and, including their offices and residential accommodation should be made more attractive to promote motivation and efficiency.
Smith said the new management of the Commission is determined to assist transform the Nigeria Police Force to meet the expectations of Nigerians speedily that with assurance of Federal Government support, attainment of this will be possible.
He however emphasised that government annual budget only will never be enough to give the nation the Police of their dream and stressed the importance of the private sector driven funding support.
The PSC Chair said the commission is gradually sanitizing the Police, expressing optimism that its image will soon be improved. He called on the Committee to look into the issues of widespread barracks accommodation for the Police and other security Agencies for discipline and prompt mobilization for emergencies and modern training facilities including indoor range for firing exercises.
In his speech, the Chairman of the team, Jibril, spoke of the myriad of security problems facing the nation which no doubt continue to constitute threats to national security.
He noted that the best way to address this challenge was to evaluate the state of the agencies, adding that President Buhari at the TTT inauguration directed the team to assess the degree of failure of security agencies; how the armed forces could interface with each other and the challenges of the police as the lead internal security agency.