From Joseph Inokotong, Abuja
The Ministry of Interior has said that in order to overcome some of the challenges militating against optimal provision of internal security in the country, it has resolved to seek an amendment of the Police Trust Fund Act to encompass other internal security agencies in the country.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola said that the provision of the Police Trust Fund Act holds so many potentials in resolving most of the security challenges in Nigeria.
He stated this while highlighting the successes of his Ministry and Agencies under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, when he received participants of Senior Executive Course 43 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, in Abuja.
He added that the objective of the Act which was recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, came into force on the 24th of June, 2019 and was to provide a legal framework for the Management and control of a special intervention fund for training and retraining of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and also for the provision of state-of-the-art security equipment and other related facilities for the enhancement of skills of the officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
In a statement issued Friday by Towoju Raphael. SIO. Information for Director Press, the Minister urged participants of the Senior Executive Course 43, to support the initiative to include the Ministry of Interior which has the mandate of providing internal security for all in the Trust Fund.
Aregbesola stressed that it would be an overkill for the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), the Federal Fire Service (FSS) and Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) which are key actors in providing internal security, to create a separate Trust Funds of their own to be able to effectively achieve the Ministry’s mandate.
“We would be presenting a memo on this to the Federal Executive Council. The objective is to make available other sources of funding to the paramilitary agencies under the Ministry to meet their needs beyond the limited allocation in the Appropriation Bill,” he stressed.
The Minister disclosed the resolve of the Ministry and its Agencies on strengthening NSCDC and reposition it to become an Elite Corps that will ensure internal security.
Aregbesola hinted that a manpower audit of officers and men of the corps to carry out this task are being put in place to identify gaps both in number, skills and competence.
This will no doubt enhance internal security, public safety and citizenship integrity driven by innovation, people, technology and systems, in addition to robust collaboration with critical stakeholders.
“I humbly solicit the support of your Institute in the execution of the various policy reforms of the Ministry which will better position it and its agencies to achieve the provision of security for all citizens.
“We also require your support in conceptualizing for the Federal Government the need for the full release of budgetary Appropriation on internal security matters, especially at this critical time of national security emergency,” Aregbesola reiterated.
In his remarks, the leader of the delegation from the Senior Executive Course 43 of the National Institute, Dr. Emmanuel Sambo Mamman, mni, said the visit by his team to the Ministry has further broadened their knowledge on the performance of the Ministry, adding that it will help the institute in policy formulation for the benefit of the country.
