The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Saturday said that the unitary policy of the Federal Government on the structure of the Nigeria Police is affecting the effectiveness of the security agency in combating crime and ensuring the safety of lives and property of Nigerians.
Aregbesola, while speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Institute for Training and indoctrination in Ayekale, Iragbiji, Osun State, also promised to back the Police with N200 million for the construction of the training centre.
The governor held that there is the need to review and restructure the police for it to be effective.
Aregbesola noted that there should be nothing stopping the creation of policing structure that will cater for each of the three tiers of government in the country, adding that if the Assistant Inspector General is to be effective in their respective zones, the state commissioners of police should be made to report to them instead of a situation where the 36 state commissioners report to the Inspector General in Abuja.
He held that state governments are now the ones squeezing themselves out from their meager resources to strengthen the Police force, stressing that beyond goodwill and intention, the structure of the police must be right.
Aregbesola said: “We are all scared and worried by the security of our country. Just about 72 hours ago (last Thursday), men of the underworld laid siege on Osogbo but for the effort of the state police command, they were adequately resisted. There should be no reason why there should not be local government, state and the Federal police.
“There is nowhere in the world where our own structure of the police is being replicated. In other parts of the world, institutions are allowed to have their own police. In such environments, crime rate has been reduced to its barest minimum. Nigeria police could be very effective and efficient but their challenges are majorly the structure and equipment.”
Speaking earlier at the occasion, the IGP, who was represented by DIG Abdul-Raman Akano, stated the Inspector General is ready to develop the Nigeria Police to one that people would respect for its effectiveness and efficiency.
He added that part of the strategy of the IGP is the permanent removal of road blocks from highways.
The IGP held that his administration will not pay lip service to the effectiveness of police in combating crimes in the society to its barest minimum, noting that the force will set up a monitoring units in the police to ensure a corruption free society.
The police boss charged people to be sensitive to their environments and report strange and suspicious movement in their communities to the police, as criminals lives amongst them and not from the moon.