Senate C'ttee Assures Police of Better Funding
From Okon Bassey in Port Harcourt
Senate Committee on Police Affairs has assured the police authorities of a better budget come 2005. It also stressed that funding was the greatest problem of the Nigerian Police.
Chairman of the committee, Senator David Mark gave the assurance in Port Harcourt just as the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sylvester Araba, lamented quality of products turned out by the various police training institutions in the country.
Mark, who was in Port Harcourt with members of the committee to familiarize themselves with activities of the state police command, noted that allocation to the police was grossly inadequate.
The committee decried the state of the Nigeria Police especially their uniform, mobility, equipment, accommodation and general welfare, stating that what was needed to address the problems was a special budget for the police.
Mark who said members of the committee were looking for a better budget for the force in 2005, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the police despite their constraint.
"We've gone round police formations, I think we are convinced and can put our hand on our chest, that the police are doing their best despite the environment from which they operate, poor salary, inadequate accommodation and obsolete equipment. They must be given the wherewithal to perform," he added.
The committee, noted with dismay that while armed robbers equip themselves with sophisticated weapons, bullet proof vests, standard vehicles like jeep, the police on their part lacked the necessary facilities and tools to fight criminals.
While receiving the members of the committee, the Araba said the geographical terrain of the state, which is largely marine, was the major operational problem for the police in the state.
Stating that the crime situation was low, Araba disclosed that inter-cult activities, community misunderstandings, disputes and occasional inter-communal crisis were predominant.
He told the committee that "the quality of products being turned out by the police training institutions as posted to the command appears to be the major personnel problem before the command."
According to him, "some of the personnel are illiterates, deficient in required height and stature", adding that some of them lacked character training which impact negatively on service operations.
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