From Tony John, Port Harcourt
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said Federal Government would increase the number of police personnel to strengthen security.
He stated this at the official commissioning of the President Muhammadu Buhari Nigeria Police Special Protection Unit Base 6, Omagwa, Rivers State, built by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The president, represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, reiterated his administration’s commitment to the provision of platforms for security agencies to fight criminal activities in the country. He said without security there would be no development in the country.
“Police is a crucial component of our law enforcement architecture. They are the civil force; the closest to the people in the various communities. In the past months, we have been taking a major reform of the police.
“First, we believe that we must increase the number of police personnel. So, we have set yearly recruitment targets. We are also in the process of re-equiping our personnel in both personal gear and hardware. An important feature of the reform is accommodation for men and officers, and I have directed that the building of barracks for men and women of the Police Force should be done in collaboration with the social housing effort of the Family Home Fund. This will ensure speedy execution of all the projects and all the barracks that need to be funded.”
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, declared that his administration would continue to support security agencies in the state.
He commended the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, for his commitment in ensuring security of lives and property in the state.
The governor said the current peace enjoyed in Rivers was as a result of the IGP’s apolitical disposition and professionalism.
Wike berated the Federal Government’s poor projects execution in the state even as he flayed the NDDC for serving the interests of politicians than the people.
“I wanted to take over this project for security reasons, but I don’t know who leaked the information to NDDC and they came back to complete it. A lot of NDDC projects are abandoned because they are being done politically, without funding. NDDC has been a cash-cow for politicians. None of our partnership with the NDDC has worked. I will make sure that you don’t use that road to your headquarters if you don’t pay your counterpart funds for the Eastern bypass. Mr. President, tell them to pay their N2.5billion counterpart funds.”
Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, assured that the East West road would be completed soon and charged the IGP to justify the facilities provided by the commission for policemen.