The Commissioner, representing South East in the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr. Onyemuche Nnamani, has called on the Federal Government to increase the number of Constables recruited into the Nigeria Police to 20,000 annually.
Nnamani made the call while addressing newsmen on Monday in Abuja. He said the call to increase the annual recruitment of constables from 10,000 to 20,000 was to avail the Force with more manpower to contain the present security crisis in the country.
The commissioner lamented that the Police strength was not enough to secure a vast nation like Nigeria, especially in the wake of banditry and terror attacks in the country.
Nnamani had also advocated emergency funding for the Nigeria Police to enable it withstand the debilitating security challenges facing the nation.
According to him, Nigeria Police of today need direct emergency funding to ensure proper training, equipment and motivation to secure the Nigerian space.
“Since there is no money to spend for the Police, the Federal Government should temporarily suspend the funds it continues to approve for gigantic projects at the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
“They should channel such funds to empowering the Police for effective and efficient policing.
“There must be security of lives and property in the country before any meaningful developmental programme can succeed.
“You have to secure the public space before any meaningful investment can thrive,” he said.
He said some of the projects recently approved at the FEC meetings would have been suspended to give room for more funding for the Nigeria Police to fight insecurity.
According to him, some of these projects are the N92.12 billion for second Abuja Airport runway; N35 billion for aviation projects in eight states and N75.78 billion contracts in the Federal Capital Territory and Ministry of Transportation.
He said it was ironic that funds were being approved for the projects when Nigerians could not travel from Abuja to Kaduna on road because of insecurity.
He said the air and rail transportation systems were also, not safe in the country.
Nnamani lamented that the Police Trust Fund set up by the Federal government to improve basic infrastructures of the Police had failed to deliver.
“Government should fund the police directly and monitor how this funding is used,” he added.
(NAN)
