FG lauds Dangote for donating 150 patrol cars to police

Tochukwu Aroh

Aliko Dangote Foundation yesterday in Abuja, donated 150 fully kitted operational cars worth several millions of Naira to the Nigeria Police Force. According to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, it was the single biggest donation ever by a private sector operator to the police.

Speaking during the formal handover of the cars at an event attended by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, ministers and governors, among other dignitaries, Chairman of the Foundation, Aliko Dangote, explained that the gesture was informed by the fact that “security is essential to economic development.”

Depending on how well the vehicles are maintained, Dangote promised that his foundation might consider donating another batch of vehicles

Meanwhile Federal Government, through Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo lauded the foundation for the rare gesture and expressed the Federal Government’s appreciation to Dangote for his untiring support to the government, adding that the donation of the patrol cars to the Nigerian Police Force will help the Force at combating crimes across the country.

Osinbajo said Dangote is a rare entrepreneur who has done so much to grow the economy of Nigeria. He said the government needs people like him to join hands with it to grow the economy and also provide jobs to the youth.

“There have been a lot of talks on private-public partnership, but as we can see Alhaji Dangote is walking the talk,” he said.

Government’s role, according to him, is to provide the enabling environment while the private sector should take advantage of the opportunities that abounds in the country to grow and develop the economy.

“The donation of 150 cars to the Nigerian Police Force is laudable and we thank Aliko Dangote Foundation for this rare gesture, that is characteristic of the person of Aliko Dangote. He has shown over the years to be an entrepreneur with a difference, a man that gives willingly to the poor,” he added.

Dangote in his speech said the donation was aimed at strengthening the Nigeria Police. Said he: “We are gathered here today to mark the formal handover of a total number of 150 GAC saloon cars to the Nigeria Police Force in order to help boost their operational efficiency. I am told that today marks the single biggest number of operational vehicles ever donated to the law enforcement agency by a private organisation.

“Considering the challenges government faces in meeting the entire needs of the populace for necessities like health, education and security, various Public Private Partnerships (PPP) initiatives have been developed. These are partnerships where the private sector collaborates with the public sector to provide services.

The Foundation, according to Dangote, has been active in the four areas of Health, Education, Economic Empowerment and Disaster relief, and had expended upwards of N10 billion annually. This is in addition to the CSR efforts of our various business units.

While calling on other corporate organizations to rise up to the challenge of helping the security agencies in the country, Dangote stated that his Foundation made a N50 million donation to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, and built the Police Intelligence Hostel Complex in Kwara State, all of which are part of the collaborations by the Foundation.

“Today, we are deepening our intervention in security with the donation of these 150 fully kitted operational vehicles to the Police Force. These vehicles will support the Nigeria Police Force in surveillance, crime prevention and promote law and order.

The Chairman of the CIG Motors Nigeria Limited, Chief Diana Chan, commended the Dangote Foundation for the uncommon gesture to help the security agency and provide it with logistics to aid its operations.

He said the number of vehicles donated by the Aliko Dangote Foundation was unprecedented and that it has thrown the challenge to other private sector operators to come to the aid of the security agencies in the country.

Idris expressed the appreciation of the police to the foundation, with a promise that the cars will be well utilized for the purpose for which they were donated.

He urged Nigerians to go about their business lawfully, noting that the Police Force is now well equipped more than ever before to fight crime across the country. He assured that the Police Force would not disappoint Nigerians in the provision of adequate security across the country.