FEC okays draft police training schools establishment bill
By Abdullahi Mohammed, Abuja
The Minister of Police Affairs Mr Mohammed Dingyadi said Wednesday that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Usman Baba is not expected to leave office before the 2023 general elections. The minister said this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.He said the IGP has a four-year appointment approved by President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2021 based on the provisions of the Police Act 2020.
“I don’t know where you got your record but by the provision of Police Act 2020, the IGP is now supposed to have a tenure of four-year period and Mr. President has given him letter of appointment in that regard. So, the issue of the IG going out during this election period does not arise,” he said. The minister said the Federal Executive Council as approved a bill for an act to establish Nigeria Police Force College Training Schools to serve as centres of professional training of officers and other related matters. “It is worth it to note that as part of Mr. President’s reform of Nigerian police ecosystem, the ministry is championing police reforms with the strong backing of the presidency, and stakeholders to address observed gaps in the training and retraining of police officers. “They have habilitated and upgraded available police training institutions and facilities nationwide. Tackle lack of funding to take care of the training institutions and create a robust structure for effective management and administration of the institutions. “In consideration of the above, the Federal Executive council has today graciously approved the draft bill for an act to establish Nigeria police force college training school and institution to serve as centers for professional training of officers, Nigerian police force and other related matters.
“It has also directed the Attorney General the Federal Minister of Justice, to transmit the draft bill to National Assembly for enactment into law. “By the time this draft bill is passed by the National Assembly, it is expected to change the narrative in our institutions.
In addition to giving legal backing to this institutions and financial autonomy, it will also have to mobilize the much needed technical and financial support from within and outside the country for the modernization of police training facilities towards improving the quality of officers that are produced for deployment, in furtherance of federal government’s agenda on police reforms for effective policing in the country,” he said.