THE Nigeria Police Reform Programme was approved by the Federal Government following the adoption of the recommendations of the reformcommittee chaired by Alhaji Muhammed Dikko, a former Inspector-General of Police as a six-year programme. The programme commenced in 2010. The M.D. Yusuf committee, as it came to be known, was set up by the Federal Government to identify the problems of The Nigeria Police and proffer solutions.With the adoption of the committees' recommendations, the Federal Government issued a White Paper in August 2008 which accepted for immediate implementation, a total of 129 recommendations, noted 131 recommendations and rejected 15 outright.It must be noted that the programme became crucial in order to redress the terrible neglect which The Nigeria Police suffered over a very long period, which has resulted in dilapidated infrastructure, lack of training, low morale among the personnel, poor remunerations and welfare, and lack of professional dignity with the resultant poor public image and trust.The outcome of the fully implemented reform programme by 2015 will be; a Police that is well trained, equipped, motivated and people-friendly; the entrenchment of the practice of community policing in the social system; the provision of a safe, secure and investment friendly environment that attracts foreign investments to create employment, thereby reducing unemployment substantially and 60 per cent reduction in incidences of violent crimes.With the recent escalation of violent crimes in some parts of the country, and the obvious difficulty by the security agencies, including the Police, to effectively combat them, questions have been asked about the sincerity of agencies, including the Police, to effectively combat them. Questions have been asked about the sincerity and commitment of those charged with the implementation of the reform programme, to wit, the Ministry of Police Affairs coordinating The Nigeria Police Force and and other relevant bodies. Nigerians expect immediate results without consideration for the fact that for a comprehensive programme such as this, which is expected to address the plethora of problems accumulated over a long period, the benefits must take some time to manifest.Like other sectors of the economy, the full-throttle implementation of The Police Reform Programme has had its fair share of the dearth of funds. However, the stoic determination of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to change the fortune of The Nigeria Police has been the realisation of the modest achievements which have come with the commitment of the Minister, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade and others before him like Humphrey Enemakwu Abah, Adamu Maina Waziri, OFR, and Senator Ibrahim Yakubu Lame, all appointees of President Jonathan.Within the short life-span of the Jonathan administration, as acting and substantive President, a total of 18,00 officers and men of The Nigeria Police have been trained through 42 training programmes in Intelligence Management, Operations, Information Technology and Community Policing. The immediate benefit of these training was the conduct of policemen during the last general election, which was hailed by both local and foreign observers and the reduction in cases of kidnappings, armed robberies and other regular criminal activities.Also, the provision of the National Public Security Communication System has become manifest with the installation of security cameras and ultra-modern communication gadgets in major cities nationwide. It provides seamless linkages between all police formations and other security agencies. Eighty-eight out of the target 100 police personnel have been trained in China in the operations and maintenance of the system.Other areas of achievement under the programme include the purchase of 50 Armoured Personnel Carriers(APCs), 90 Peugeot Sedan Classic cars, 250 Double Cabin patrol vehicles, a Cessna Citation Aircraft and five Bell 429 Combat Helicopters are being added to the fleet. There is also the completion of the Police Aircraft hanger, 40,000 Motorola handheld Voice and Data Radios, procurement of a large cache of arms, ammunition and riot-control equipment and large quantity of assorted items of uniforms and accoutrements.The upgrade of the Police Academy, Wudil is on-going with the construction of the Senate Building and Faculty Buildings, Lecture Theatre, Hostels and other infrastructure at the Academy. Similar projects are visibly being undertaken at the Police Staff College, Jos and the Mobile Training School, Gworza.In the area of personnel welfare, large-scale renovation of barracks are ongoing, massive promotions have been caried out as never done in previous administrations, while efforts are on by the Ministry, in constant liaison with the Salaries and Wages Commission to further boost their remunerations. Not forgotten also is the promise by the current Minister, Navy Captain Olubolade, in the course of his surprise visits to police formations, to build transit camps in all police divisions, to assuage the difficulties being faced by officers on transfer or special duties.Given the commitment of the Jonathan administration to the reform programme, and the unwavering commitment of the Ministry of Police Affairs to its implementation, Nigerians could well look forward to the Police of their dreams in no distant future.Odaudu is the Chief Press Secretary/Resident Information Officer Ministry of Police Affair.
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