Yesterday, at the National Security Summit, President Buhari disclosed the Federal Government’s plans to recruit 10,000 individuals into the Nigeria Police Force. Following on from International Youth Day, Buhari said that he believes youth unemployment is one of the most pressing issues in the country today and the empowerment of youths is one that has to be addressed by his administration.
According to This Day, he said:
“It is acknowledgement of this that I have identified youth empowerment, as one of the cardinal objectives of our administration. In furtherance to this, the Federal Government is planning to employ at least an extra 10,000 police officers and establish a properly trained and equipped federal anti-terrorism multi agency task force that will effectively address the challenge of future insurgency in a sustainable manner. In the meantime, efforts are being made to enhance the operational capacity of officers of the Nigeria police through a tailor-made training programme that will give them the right civil orientation in their roles as guardians of the constitution.”
The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, further asked for the following:
- Adequate funding of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure operational efficiency.
- The resuscitation and passage of the Bill on Police Trust Fund, which should lead to greater focus on the security challenges and insufficient manpower in the country.
“Through effective funding, the welfare needs of police personnel will be met and the challenge of corruption that has eroded professionalism and public respect for police will be addressed,” – he stated.
President Buhari also stated that attention is being given to the development of CCTV monitoring systems across key cities and towns in the country, while the police accountability mechanism will be strengthened. Security seems to be a main focus in Nigeria right now and the decisions from the Office of the President are particularly encouraging.