It has been the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari to bequeath to our nation a legacy of a reformed, modernized, fully equipped, highly motivated and citizen-focused Police Force that is re-oriented to the virtues of professionalism, respect for rule of law, due process and best international practices in its operations.
It is therefore in the pursuit of the above vision that the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Establishment Act was signed into law on 24th June, 2019. Consequently, the Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, on the 18th of October, 2019 inaugurated a 13-man Ministerial Implementation Committee to draw up the institutional and operational structure for the take-off of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund. The Committee completed its assignment and the report was submitted to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with appropriate recommendations. Following the approval of the report by Mr. President, an 8-man Board of Trustees was inaugurated by the Minister of Police Affairs on 18th May, 2020.
The Management of the Fund is well positioned to guarantee for the nation a well-equipped, well trained and well-motivated Nigeria Police Force in accordance with international standards and best practice.
The Fund has been discharging its mandate of meeting the operational and logistics requirements of the Police Force. Security of lives and property of Nigerians is a constitutional obligation, the Nigeria Police Force is central to the process of meeting this obligation.
Today, we are faced with a security challenge and threatened by the heinous activities of bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and other highly organized criminality in some parts of the country.
On Thursday 14th January 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned 200 units of fully equipped Buffalo trucks with modern communication facilities and other security equipment procured by the NPTF at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. He also commissioned Arms and Ammunitions, Personnel Protective Gears (Bullet Proof Vest and Helmets), Riot Control equipment, Covid-19 Protection Kits for Police Hospitals and personnel drugs and medical equipment for Police Hospitals.
Nigerians welcomed the NPTF intervention as timely and apt, as it came at a time when government is determined more than ever before to logically address the various security challenges confronting our country.
Achieving the overall objective of the Trust Fund is the collective aspiration of all Nigerians in order to bridge the funding gap in policing by providing the Nigeria Police Force with required operational tools, equipment, training and retraining of personnel as well as motivation of officers and men through improved welfare. Only when this is achieved, officers and men of the Force could be motivated to put in their best in the discharge of their duties to emplace a more peaceful and safe country for economic development and improved livelihood for the citizenry.
Barely two (2) weeks after the splendid performance by the NPTF, on January 26th we got a news that the Federal High Court, Abuja declared as unconstitutional the mode of funding the NPTF from the Federation Account. This judgment has a damming consequence on the operations of the fund, the legacies of President Buhari, the escalating insecurity in the country and the competence of the Attorney General of the Federation as well as the constitutional powers of the National Assembly.
Kabir writes from Abuja
