Deeply concerned like many Nigerians about the emergent, debilitating and protracted security challenges Nigeria currently faces, the Committee of Retired Inspectors General of Police this week left their comfort homes for a two-day retreat in the city of Ibadan, Oyo State to deliberate on and fashion out ways towards a more peaceful, united and progressive Nigeria through responsive and proactive security architecture.
The retreat, which held between August 21 and August 23, had as its theme: “Intervention of Ex-Inspectors-General of Police For Strategic Contributions to Effective Policing.”
Initiated by the committee’s Chairman, IGP Aliyu Attah, (retd), facilitated by the Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. Solomon Arase, also a retired IGP, and sponsored by the Oyo State Government under the executive governor, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, the retreat was held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, to deliberate on the worrying trends and how to tackle them.
Other retired IGPs in attendance included Sunday Ehindero, Ogbonna Onovo, Mike Okiro, Hafiz Ringim and Kpotun Idris.
In his opening remarks, the committee’s chairman, Alhaji Attah, in his paper, entitled: “Repositioning the Committee of Retired Inspectors-General of Police for Impact and Relevance in the National Security Architecture of Nigeria,” said that the gathering presented a unique opportunity to reflect on the retirees’ journey in the Nigeria Police Force, share experiences and chart a path towards repositioning the committee for a greater impact, relevance and strategic interventions within the national security landscape.
According to Attah, “the security challenges facing our beloved country have become increasingly complex, diffusive and multifaceted with unprecedented lethality.
“The dynamics of criminality are being exacerbated by the 22st Century technological advancements which birthed information superhighway; daily employed and exploited by criminal elements in the society for their nefarious activities.”
He said that the security needs of the citizenry therefore demand that the NPF as the agency entrusted with internal security arrangement remain focused, innovative and proactive in the pursuit of secure and prosperous Nigeria.
He noted that the NPF has had issues, with its consequential effect being people’s belief declining continuously in the law enforcement agents’ ability to guarantee adequate internal security.
This , he added, had also been compounded by the creation of other security agencies which affects adequate funding of the NPF and deepens inter-agency war due to overlapping responsibilities and duties.
Retired IGP Attah said that the retreat was aimed at providing a platform to harness collective wisdom and expertise as retired IGPs by reinvigorating the committee and its role in shaping the present and future of the NPF towards enhanced and virile security architecture of Nigeria.
“Our collective experience as retired IGPs positions us custodians of institutional memory, strategic insight, practical guidance and survival instincts towards a repositioned police force, for greater efficiency and effectiveness in the performance of its statutory functions.
“…The time is now for us to wake up from our seemingly state of inactivity as members of the Committee of Retired Inspectors General of Police and jointly provide strategic guidance to the current acting Inspector General of Police and, indeed, every Inspector General of Police,” he stated.
In his presentation entitled: “Current State of Police Preparedness: Issues, Challenges and Prospects,” the acting Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who graced the occasion, said that he was there to share his policing vision with his bosses and to let them know what the Force intends to do, how it would be done, the experience in the last two months, the challenges being faced, and to tap from the retired IGPs’ wealth of experience, to find ways of tackling the challenges.
According to the IGP, “our new policing vision is to emplace a professionally competent, service-driven, rule of law-compliant, people-friendly police force that will support the agenda of government in economic recovery and growth as well as socio-political development of our country.
“We are looking forward to a police force that will be so well positioned to respond appropriately and adequately to the dynamics of crime and criminality in Nigeria.”
He said that it would be difficult to have such a police force without understanding the multi-faceted nature of the challenges it has which are numerous and require multi-faceted approach to tackling them.
He stated: “We cannot just be talking about human security without considering economic security, environmental security. They are inter-connected. Attending to one and neglecting others will not solve the problems.
“Fortunately, we have a government in place which has engendered a new security agenda for the nation to look at all the problems and tackle them holistically. Attention is now being given, not only to human security. The challenges of the environment, economy are being addressed as well as other challenges.”
He said the police force, on its part, has put in place a number of measures to mitigate the challenges of physical security and policing generally with the aim of improving service delivery and reducing crime in the society to the barest minimum.
The IGP disclosed that steps had been taken to address shortage of manpower, assuring of good support from the federal government to make sure that there is an increase in the yearly recruitment.
He also spoke on the proposal to set up a special intervention squad, saying that the idea is to restore Police Mobile Force to its original concept. “From the PMF, we are proposing that we are going to mobilise already trained officers, retrain and kit them specially and make them function like the PMF of those days. They will not be deployed as VIP escorts or to guard duties as it is today, but specially remunerated and housed and be ready for deployment at the shortest notice.”
He spoke on the improvement on the relationship between the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission, saying that there has been no need for friction as he and the PSC chairman had been working harmoniously for a common interest.
The objectives of the retreat were outlined into themes and captured in the presentations of invited resource persons who served as lead discussants.
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