President Muhammadu Buharis Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, says it took government long to approve community policing in the country so as to make sure that state governments are able to cater to the needs of those hired for the purpose.
Shehu who shared this while speaking on a Channels Television programme, noted that it was necessary for steps to be taken to ensure that a proper structure that is implementable in all states is formed before the state policing is actualised in the country.
A lot of states that had clamoured for community police, many of them were unable to cope with salary payment. If you hired a community policeman and give him a gun and you keep him five to six months without salary, what do you expect? he said.
I think efforts all these time have been taken to ensure that situation of this sort did not arise and therefore, they need to streamline and ensure that there is a standard national procedure and prescription for each of the state to abide or comply with.
President Muhammadu Buharis on August 20 approved N13.3 billion for the off-take of community policing initiative across the country.
The approval was part of measures adopted to consolidate efforts aimed at containing the security situation in the country.
Calls for state policing had increased following rising incidences of mass killings in many parts of the country. As such, a bill seeking an amendment to the Nigerian Constitution to accommodate state and community policing was first introduced in the 8th Senate but didnt pass through.
