Baba made the appeal when he appeared before the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Police Affairs which organised a public hearing on ‘A Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigeria Police Force College Training School and Institutions.’
The IGP decried the present situation in which police institutions across the country had been operating over the years without legal backing. He said 35 police institutions were captured in the bill in three categories.
The police boss said the first category had six institutions, the second had 14 training institutions, while the third had 15 tactical and technical institutions of the Nigeria Police.
He said, “While calling on the support of the distinguished members of this hallowed chambers for the expeditious passage of this Bill, it is our belief that this Bill will engender a new era of modernised training and retraining of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and other agencies that would also greatly impact on their service delivery as we strive towards the attainment of our given mandate.
“It would also assist other law enforcement agencies to be trained in these schools. It is our hope that our training institutions would be legally recognised and given a framework and also funded from the budget as we do not have any of our schools budgeted for and that is why we have gaps in our training processes. The issue of training and retraining cannot be overemphasised.”
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Sen Haliru Jika, stressed the need to strengthen and empower the Nigeria Police Force.
Chairman House Committee on Police Affairs, Hon Usman Bello Kumo, said it was a very important Bill.
Kumo said, “This function is a public hearing to fulfil the righteousness and observe all procedures in enacting a law. It is a public hearing for the Nigeria Police Force college training schools and institutions establishment bill 2023. The Bill is aimed at providing legislation for all colleges and police institutions. You are all aware that from time immemorial our pioneer schools and colleges have been graduating students but without legislation.
“I appreciate the government of the day that signed the Police Act in 2020. And going forward, we are truly on the path of enhancing the police, giving them the enabling environment and the legislation that they would work in tandem with their colleagues in other parts of the world. We need to get the buy-in of all stakeholders. We will continue to give the police the best cooperation to ensure that is the largest civil security outfit in the land and in a democratic dispensation. We are not going to joke with the police.”
The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was represented by the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Iduma Enwo, also said the Bill was very important.
He said, “The business of today is to develop a legal framework for the institutions of the Nigeria Police Force. We cannot overstate the importance of developing a legal framework for police institutions. It is very important to develop the legal framework.”
The Speaker said it would be part of the reforms and restructuring of the Nigeria Police for better service delivery.
