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BY BODE GBADEBO, EJIKE EJIKE, and IGHO OYOYO
A former Inspector-general of Police (IGP) and the immediate-past chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Sir Mike Okiro, has identified lack of proper funding and insufficient personnel as major reasons for capacity constraints in the Nigeria Police Force.
Okiro’s stance is coming at a time the country is enmeshed in security challenges that require effective policing to contain.
Speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP on the current state of insecurity in Abuja, the former police chief regretted that over the years, successive government had failed to invest well in security to enable security agencies tackle insecurity in the country.
“The government must also help the people by providing proper funding, welfare packages, equipment and other things that would help the security agencies to tackle insecurity in the country,” Okiro said.
According to him, while the police lost over 59, 000 of their personnel due to retirement, dismissal, retirement, among others, within five years, there was no recruitment exercise to engage more people in the force to combat crime.
The former IGP said, “We have not invested well in security over the years. Welfare, funding have been a challenge. A policeman with his small salary has the responsibility of taking care of his house and other needs, and also respond to emergency. For police to function well, his accommodation, transport and other welfare must be taken into consideration.
“Lack of manpower is also another challenge. As chairman of Police Service Commission, I discovered that for five years, there was no recruitment and the police lost over 59, 000 people due to retirement, dismissal, retirement and others.
“Development is going on and the cities are overpopulated, yet the strength of the manpower of the police force is going down. Even with the current news of recruitment of 10,000 but it is not good enough and not sustainable.”
On the way forward in the face of daunting security challenge, he said intelligence gathering is key in the fight against insecurity, and it requires money.
He stated: “Government must invest in intelligence gathering because if intelligence is lacking, the operation will fail. Though there is paucity of funds now, funding is still key as no country would get foreign investors without proper security in the country.
“The Police Trust Fund will also go a…
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