ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Mike Okiro, said on Thursday that some 19,500 new policemen were needed to meet the shortfall created by the death, retirement and dismissal of personnel in the last five years.
Okiro made this known at the Presidential Villa after the Commission, Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr. James Obiegwu, briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the successes and challenges of the Nigeria Police Force.
United Nations’ record shows that the Nigeria Police have lost 34,421 officers since 2012.
But Okiro put the figure at over 21,000 between 2010 and 2015 due to retirement, dismissal from service and death.
He said that the current capacity of the Nigeria Police was 305,579.
Of the 21,000, Okiro continued, only about 1,500 had been replaced.
The president had during a National Security Summit on Monday in Abuja, ordered the recruitment of 10,000 persons into the Police Force to strengthen it amidst the security challenges facing the country.
But that still leaves the police with a shortfall of about 11,000 personnel.
Emerging from the meeting with the president, Okiro told State House correspondents that nonetheless, modalities and procedures for implementing the president’s directive on recruitment of 10,000 persons into the police were still being worked out.
He said the recruitment drive would be preceded by acquiring the requisite materials and infrastructure for the personnel to operate.
“Of course, you are aware that a few days ago, Mr. President said the police are going to embark on recruitment of 10,000 people. We discussed with him on modalities and how to ensure that the 10,000 people are recruited to maintain the security of Nigeria,” Okiro said, maintaining that renovation of police infrastructure and purchase of weapons and other working tools would come before the recruitment.
“There will be procedures and guidelines before recruitment takes place. So when all these things have taken place, the ‘i’s dotted and ‘t’s crossed, recruitment will start,” he said.
On the issue of welfare, Okiro said: “President Buhari has given us assurance that the police will be encouraged, will be funded and will be equipped within the provisions of the budget to make sure Nigerians are provided with adequate security.”
UN Global Standard
Okiro’s disclosure of 305,579 as current personnel capacity of the Nigeria Police is, however, a significant drop from its workforce in 2012, which was put at 350,000, according to United Nations’ records.
Going by the UN recommendations on police personnel to population ratio in 2006, an average of 222 officers are expected to provide security for 100,000 people.
The UN record shows that as at 2012, Nigeria had 205 policing every 100,000 persons, a shortfall of an average of 17 officers in each cell of 100,000, going by the country’s population of approximately 170 million people.
But with Okiro’s figure of 305,579 for current police personnel, it leaves Nigeria with the ratio of one policeman to an average of 566 people.
However, going by Nigeria’s population figure of 170 million people against the UN recommended policing capacity of 222 officers to 100,000 people, the current 305,579 personnel of the Nigeria Police would need to be increased to 377,400 to meet the global standard.
When the 10,000 new officers are engaged as directed by President Buhari, bringing the figure to 315, 579, Nigeria would still require 34,421 officers to return to her capacity as at 2012 or 71,821 more personnel to meet the UN recommendation of 222 officers to 100,000 population.
Except for the United States of America, which has 794,300 officers and policing ratio of 256 to every 100,000 persons as at 2010, none of the big nations of the world, with relatively huge population as Nigeria, has met the UN recommendation on police personnel to population ratio.
Even China with her strong 1.6 million police personnel, the ratio as at 2007 was put at 120 officers, as against 222, to 100,000 people. India by the UN records in 2007 had 927,541 officers and a policing capacity of 76 personnel to 100,000.
Better Police Assured
Speaking to the press at the Presidential Villa yesterday, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, James Obiegbu, said that President Buhari had assured of better police for the country.
Obiegbu defended the relevance of the police ministry and the need for more extra-budgetary funding of the police from the private sector.
“We briefed Mr. President that the Ministry of Police Affairs has the mandate to oversee and administer the police. It is the Ministry of Police Affairs that represents the police in the Federal Executive Council.
“It provides the police with a voice that enables the police to have the support of not just the government but the Nigerian people to carry out the very serious responsibility the police have of maintaining internal peace and security and safety of all Nigerians.
“All through the discussions, the president was interested in the welfare of officers. He was interested in the issues concerning their emotions, issues concerning their placing, he was concerned with everything that concerns them.
“He promised that he will continue to support the police family to ensure that the police are well provided for and their welfare taken care of,” he said.
On the issue of funding, Obiegbu explained that “issues about funding of the police is something that has been on the front burner because it requires a lot of funding and not something the government can do alone.
“There can never be a specific amount for the police to function effectively. If you know what it takes to keep patrols all over the whole country, keep vehicles and men on the road, you will have an idea of what funding requirements of police can be,” he stated.
Credit: Daily Independent (Nigeria)
