In its avowed determination to ensure a better and more efficient Police Force for the country with improved service delivery to Nigerians, the Ministry of Police Affairs has engaged its top management staff to brainstorm on challenges confronting the Force in order to address them.
Declaring the retreat in Abuja open, the Honourable
Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, stated this in Abuja recently while declining open a two-day management retreat aimed at inspiring a collective commitment to align efforts of the ministerial mandate towards the realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu Administration.
He said the ministry has a vision for a renewed and highly effective Nigeria Police Force.
Speaking through the Minister of State for Police Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who represented him, Gaidam informed that the challenges the Police Force was facing today, which affects its efficient service delivery to Nigerians, is a result of decades of neglect.
He explained that the Force finds itself at a critical juncture and currently struggles with the consequences of decades of neglect that have hindered its ability to fulfil its constitutional mandate, adding that the ministry has also not been spared of this challenge.
He expressed optimism that given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment towards reforming the Nigeria Police Force for better service delivery, the ministry is now positioned at the forefront of the police transformation agenda, and that it must rise to the challenge.
“The ministry must bear this weighty responsibility of ensuring coordination and creating the enabling frameworks to steer the Nigeria Police Force towards improved technical and operational effectiveness,” he said.
Meanwhile, the top management staff of the ministry have advocated the need for efficient deployment of modern technology, as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) in data management to support the fight against crime and criminality in the country to achieve more prevention of crime rather than curbing it.
In a communique issued at the end of the retreat, they further called for legislative backing and policy documents to strengthen the mandate of the ministry to enable seamless facilitation, coordination, and effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force.
It was also noted that the ministry is critical to de-escalating and containing insecurity in the nation and the need for the empowerment of Divisional Police Stations to enable them to provide effective service to the citizens within their jurisdiction.
They reiterated the need for close monitoring and evaluation of plans and strategies to ensure optimal performance, effectiveness, and efficiency, as well as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that must be clear and measurable for the Competence Assessment and Performance Improvement Plan.
The participants reinforced the significance of local, regional, and global synergy in tackling insecurity and criminality and the need for the introduction of democratic policing with an emphasis on the rule of law, human rights, community policing, and citizens’ engagement in the process.
The retreat, with the theme “Re-Envisioning the Ministry of Police Affairs for Effective Internal Security: Strengthening Administration and Management Functions for Resilience and Efficiency,” was attended by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Nasir Sani Gwarzo; Chairman, Police Service Commission, Dr Solomon Arase; Executive Secretary, Nigeria Police Trust Fund, Abdullahi Bala Sokoto; Inspector General of Police representative, AIG Abouyari Shuayau Lafia; representative of the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Head of the Conflict and Security Programme (Nigeria and Lake Chad Basin), Mr Annup Vyas.
Others were directors; Senior Technical Advisor, Fatai Ayinde, the Management Consultant, Professor Adeyemi Olarewaju Ajayi; Niyi Afolabi (Lead Consultant, Mcvan Management Consultant Limited); Managing Director of Beacon Consulting Limited), Dr. Kabir Adamu, and other stakeholders.
Seated (L-R): AIG Kayode Aderanti (Rtd),Director (Planning, Reseach and Statistics) Azeez Atinuke Margaret; Head (INTERPOL, National Crime Bureau), AIG Lanre Bankole; Permanent Secretary, Dr. Nasir Sani Gwarzo; Inspector General of Police representative, AIG Abouyari Shuayau Lafia; Director (Finance & Accounts); Bakre Juliana Modupe; Director (General Services) Edemanya Brayila Ibilola and other directors
