Budget defence: IGP asks for N24.8bn to fuel vehicles, motorcycles daily

as New Police Act, others may be

…Gbajabiamila asks police boss to compile list of affected officers, properties destroyed

TRACKING____Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu yesterday said that he would require a budgetary allocation of N24.8bn to need the fuel need of police operational needs for effective policing of the country.

The police boss dropped the hints at the ongoing budget defence of the House of Representatives Committee on Police affairs led by Hon. Bello Kumo from Gombe State.

The IGP also highlighted a couple of other challenges facing the force, appealing for more funding.

This came as the Chairman of the committee bemoaned said that N11bn allocation to police was too meager to meet its operational needs.

Adamu said: “The 2021 budget for the force sum up to N469.4 billion, however, the budget office final submission to the National Assembly indicated that a total sum of N449.6 billion, with a reduction of about N21.7 billion from the initial estimate.

“The implication is that, under an ideal situation, the amount that has been reviewed cannot meet up with the requirement of policing the country. For example, the daily fuel consumption for our vehicles that have a petrol engine will take about N22.5 billion to fuel it within the year. The motorcycles we have, it will require N834.4 million to fuel and those vehicles using diesel will require about N1.4 billion. So, feuling alone will take about N24.8 billion.

“The primacy of the Nigerian Police as a lead agency in internal security matter is being challenged with inadequate funding and my desire is to restore the dignity and pride of place of the force within the internal security architecture of the country.

“This Nigeria police is blessed with officers and men who are not only intellectually gifted but exceptionally committed and professionally sound enough to surmount the security challenges facing the nation

“Appropriating level of funding is required to provide these personnel logistics to carry out their responsibility.

“The success of ongoing police reform requires that more needs to be done, especially in the areas of adequate funding and institutionalisation of structures in the force

“The restoration of police national assets destroyed during the recent demonstration in the southern part of Nigeria is a case in point. Others include the prompt and early passage into law of police academy Kano, Police Staff College, Jos, the Premier Police Colleges in Ikeja, Kaduna, Maiduguri, and Oji River, and National Institute of Police Studies. These bills are fundamental in police reforms, rejigging the training and retaining of manpower needs of the force. I plead for your continuous support in achieving this Noble objective.

“The 2020 appropriation releases were the problems. The capital appropriated was N14.2 billion but the amount released was N12.8 billion, with an outstanding N1.4 billion yet to be released.

“Because of the lack of appropriate releases, there were challenges noticed during the implementation of the 2020 budget. The problem of envelope budgeting and sealing is always a problem, partial releases of the appropriated fund is a problem, emerging security issues across the country, especially North-wast without a fund for operational support is a problem for us.

“Lack of funding for police operation in the restoration of civil authority in the North-east- that is Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states is a problem for us. Unanticipated crises such as the global threat of the Covid-19 pandemic came unprepared and with no funding. #EndSARS protests and the optimal destruction of police national assets will require funding to bring the structures back to life.

“There is non-availability of a budget life to cater to police special operation in the country and there is a negative impact in the personnel deployment and operational management of various security centers due to lack of operational account.

In his remarks, the chairman of the committee, Kumo hinted that
new Police Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari may be tinkered with to reflect current realities on the ground.

He also said that the speaker of the House has directed that the list of all affected officers and men of the force, properties, and vehicles destroyed during the recent EndSARS protests should be submitted.

Kumo who also bemoaned the N11 billion budget allocation to the police, saying it was too meagre to run operations.

“There is no way, the police as the biggest security outfit that man the internal security of the country can be run with N11 billion capital for 12 months in a financial year.

“It is not only grossly inadequate. Truly, the government has to do something drastic on the budget. The honourable speaker, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, and his able deputy, Honourable Wase, and the leadership have informed me that, I should direct you IG to; one, submit the names of our men who laid their lives in the course of their duty, particularly and most importantly during this EndSARS.

“Because, this 9th assembly is not only sensitive but responsive, to not only protect Nigerians but to equally protect the Nigerian police that is protecting Nigerians.

“So, you have to do that, please, within one week so that, before we tidy up the budget, we will now try to see how to factor in that.

“Two, we may need the inventory of police stations that were burnt down by criminals. Because there is a sharp contradiction between the legal protesters and the criminality aspect of the port police and equally hoodlums.

“Now, I want to assure you, as the representatives of the 9th assembly to the Nigerian police and equally the representatives of the Nigerian police to the 9th assembly, I want to assure you, that at the end of the as a liaison, that at the end of the passage of this budget, your capital should not be 11 billion. It should be far, far ahead of 11 billion, and that we can prove to you.

“I sympathise with the Nigerian police, and it is a fact and I equally have hope, because from the way and manner that, the president is now speaking, by the body language of the president and the executives, by reforming the Nigerian police, we can see that, evidently, in the fast assertion, the way and manner the president assented to the Bill, we can understand that, there are some developments and there are positive developments.

“But, that Act itself, we have to bring it back, repeal it and other sister laws that have to do with reforming the police. The Trust Fund Act itself has some lacunas, the Police Service Act has some lacunas, and the police Act. So, altogether, our primary responsibility is to sit down here and repeal the laws and give laws that will enable you to operate”, he said.