From Adetutu Folasade-Koyi, Abuja
Police Affairs Ministry, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, has assured that next year’s elections would hold as scheduled, just as he disclosed that N4.5 million has been spent to fuel police vehicles across the Police Commands in the country.
He stated this at the 15th edition of the PMB scorecard series in Abuja, yesterday, saying the 2023 general election would not be scuttled by pockets of criminality across the country.
He also assured that the police was fully mobilised to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
“I’ve said it before and I want to say it again, this election is going to be conducted in all parts of the country and we want to assure Nigerians that it’s going to be hitch-free. It’s going to be fair and it’s going to be credible. What you see out there, by these coward criminals will not deter us from conducting these elections,” Dingyadi said.
On the N4.5 billon spent to fuel police vehicles across the country, the minister said there were plans to continue disbursement in the new fiscal year having secured approval from President Buhari and the National Assembly.
“…The money was disbursed in three tranches, aimed at “improving operational efficiency of the police. (It was) carried out in three tranches, under the 2021 budget, which extended to the first quarter of 2022 while efforts are on to secure approval for its continuation.
“This is the first time in the country that this administration is doing this. It’s our intention to continue with this…gesture. Many of them appreciate what we’ve done and the fuel we’ve distributed is to all the (police commands) in the 36 states of the Federation and Abuja.It is real that this fuel is being distributed and police is appreciate of what we are doing…” the minister added
In his remarks at the event, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed claimed presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar proposal to re-open Nigerian borders if elected president in 2023 would sabotage the economy.
He alleged the proposal would impact negatively on the agricultural sector.
“Permit me to respond to the unfortunate comment credited to Atiku, during his campaign stop in Katsina on Tuesday, that he will reopen all Nigerian borders if elected president. By that statement, Alhaji Atiku has simply informed Nigerians that he will reverse all the efforts made by the PMB Administration to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of many staples, especially rice. By that statement, the former vice president has informed the country’s millions of rice farmers that they will soon lose their jobs when imported rice floods the country. By that statement, Atiku has told the hundreds of thousands of Nigerians working in the various rice mills that have sprung up under this Administration that their jobs are over. By that statement, Alhaji Atiku will shut down most, if not all, of our new fertiliser blending companies, with thousands of jobs going down the drain. And by his declaration, the former vice president has told Nigerians that he will worsen security in the country by allowing arms and ammunition to flow unhindered into the country,” he said.