I-G Seeks Adequate Budgetary Allocation For Police

The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Ibrahim Idris, has called for adequate budgetary allocation for the Nigeria Police Force to effectively discharge its mandate. He made the call when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, led by its Chairman, Mr Haliru Jika, paid an oversight visit to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday. He said that the annual budgetary allocation to the force with regards to capital projects and overhead do not reflect the enormous responsibilities of the force. The I-G noted that allocation to the force had been grossly inadequate in spite of the increasing security challenges it had to contend with. He added that only 25 per cent (N4 billion) of the N16 billion appropriated for capital projects in 2016 was released , leaving a whooping N12 billion. “The amount released and cash-backed in September is being utilised for payment of completed and ongoing projects,” he said. He noted that the non-release of appropriated capital budget had inhibited the force from accomplishing its objective of providing necessary tools and infrastructure. IGP-Idris The police boss said the force received N6 billion as overhead allocation out of the N9.2 billion appropriated for 2016, leaving an outstanding of N2.8 billion. Idris said payment of personnel in the 42 commands and formations was carried out through the GIFMIS platform of the Federal Government. He said that out of the N285 appropriated, N273 was paid through the platform, leaving a balance of N10 billion. He added that the requisite operational tools and infrastructure were indispensable in order for the force to carry out its statutory responsibilities. The tools include vehicles, arms and ammunition, aircraft, intelligence and surveillance equipment, among others. He said that the capital budget for the force was inadequate to address the security challenges confronting the country, stressing that “it is an onerous task that requires enormous resources to attain and every gain archived must be sustained.” He called for the cooperation and support of Nigerians to provide the necessary resources to enable the force to perform its duties effectively. In a remark, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, Mr Haliru Jika, said the committee was on a fact-finding mission. He said “we are here to perform the annual ritual of over-sighting your activities. “We are assuring you of our support for you to achieve your mandate of ensuring internal security.” He said that the constitution empowered the National Assembly to ensure that all agencies of government complied with the appropriation Act.