President Muhammadu Buhari says he is more committed to Nigerian policemen’s welfare than former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.
He accused the trio of underperforming in their commitment to reforming the police force but praised himself for turning around the fortunes of the cops.
On Tuesday, Mr Buhari, represented by the Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this in his remarks while declaring open a two-day retreat for senior police officers open in Uyo.
“Indeed, since the commencement of the current democratic journey in 1999, no government has shown so much commitment to the welfare and institutional advancement of the Nigerian police than the current government of President Muhammadu Buhari,” he stated. “This administration has prioritised the reform, re-equipment, and re-engineering of the Nigerian police, being the lead and most critical agency in the nation’s internal security architecture.”
The president said his regime had recruited 40,000 police officers in the past four years, just as he noted that his administration granted assent to the Nigerian Police Trust Fund Ac.
He also stated that his regime carried out an upward review of salaries and allowances of the rank and file in a bid to boost the morale of the Force.
Mr Buhari added that the government also assented to the Nigerian Police Regulatory Bill 2020 to reposition the police force.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba said any organisation without a vision was bound to fail, so the retreat would align the officers with the current and evolving policing and internal security realities.
The police boss said the police would continue to explore all available strategies in guaranteeing the security and safety of Nigeria, according to its mandate.