Police reforms require huge funding – PSC Chair

The Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), IGP Musiliu Smith (retd.), has made case for adequate funding for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to ensure a successful police reforms in the country.

Smith noted that adequate funding of the Police as well as the PSC, the statutory civilian oversight body on the NPF, would make the police more efficient and effective.

The commission’s Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, in a press statement, Thursday in Abuja, said the PSC chairman, made the advocacy when he met with the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

He said the Delegation (Police Expert Mission), led by Hendrickson Dyean, was at the PSC to find out how the commission was making inputs into the Presidential Police Reform Roadmap and how donors could also support the programme.

According to the spokesperson, Smith noted that police reforms should also include training and retraining of officers, provision of decent and comfortable barrack accommodation, effective mobility, transportation, and provision of adequate quality weaponry.

“He said it should also accommodate efficient and effective communication gadgets, uncompromising recruitment process and good Police/community relations amongst others,” Ani added.

He said, “The PSC chairman maintained that if all these requirements were put in place, crime prevention response rate by the police would be swift, effective and efficient.”

Ani disclosed that the EU leader, who was in company of Spirlet Nevd-Angic (SSR expert) and Kemi Okenyodo (Founder/Executive Director) Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, had promised to continue to partner with the commission and support its efforts in the Presidential Police Reform Roadmap.