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Senate wants police force decentralized

…says corruption responsible for indiscipline among security agencies

The Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Security Challenges has called for the decentralization of the Nigeria Police Force as a way of improving efficiency aimed at addressing the problem of insecurity bedeviling the country.

Consequently, the upper chamber recommended to the executive arm of government that the Police Command structure be decentralized with operational and budgetary powers vested in the zonal commands. 
These formed part of recommendations contained in the report of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Security Challenges.

The Chamber also recommended that all Joint operations should be carried out strictly in accordance with extant operational procedures provided in the Armed Forces Act.

It advised the federal government to make full payment of allowances to officers and men involved in operations; introduce effective insurance scheme, gratuity and pensions; as well as setup a National Defence Fund backed by legislation, into which all Nigerian adults and businesses should make contributions for revival and investment in the National Defence Industry.

Earlier, Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC – Kebbi North), while reading from a 74 page report on the Urgent Need to Restructure, Review and Reorganize the Urgent Security Architecture in the country, disclosed that the panel during the course of engaging heads of security agencies and stakeholders, discovered that there are ill-defined operational boundaries and overlapping jurisdictions among security services.

He blamed failure to define functions and boundaries between intelligence agencies on defective laws governing the operation of the Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
The lawmaker added that, “the General absence of a performance, monitoring and evaluation mechanism within the Institutions and Services have undermined discipline and due diligence in the conduct of security related operations.

Abdullahi warned that the prevalence of importing all the nation’s National Security equipment and gadgets undermines the security of the nation and amounts to colossal wastage when the equipment remain unserviceable due to lack of components and spare parts.  

Blaming the failure to nip insecurity in the bud on the absence of an effective centralized criminal database for the country, the lawmaker bemoaned the lack of a comprehensive identity management data covering the country’s population with no interface of databases belonging to several institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Immigration, Customs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), among others. 
“There is a general failure of governance to nip potential security breaches in the bud before they fester and result into serious security challenges,” Abdullahi stated.

He observed that most security agencies institutions, particularly the Police lack well trained personnel, functional and well equipped training institutions.

Senator Rochas Okorocha (APC – Imo West) said, “what is missing in this report, is that the committee did not take out time to look at the relationship between the government and the governed.”

Senator James Manager (PDP – Delta South), described the report as all encompassing in the review of the security architecture of the country. 
“This report, if diligently followed and implemented, will solve many of our problems,” he said. 
The lawmaker, however, faulted the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah, for failing to Honour the invitation of the Ad-Hoc Committee. 

Barau Jibrin (APC – Kano North) said, “if the report is fully implemented implemented, we will get out of the security mess we are in.”

Senator Ibrahim Shekarau (APC – Kano Central) advocated for the inclusion of the Department of State Service (DSS) as a member of the State Security Council.

Senator Elisha Abbo Ishaku (PDP – Adamawa North) lamented, “what we are seeing happening today, that is impeding the fight against insurgence in the north east, is as a result of the lack of collaboration in joint operations against insurgency.”

Similarly, Senator Gabriel Suswam (PDP – Benue North East) blamed the failure in the fight against insecurity on the lack of coordination and required data needed by security agencies to succeed.

He, therefore, called for the introduction of legislation that would make it mandatory for the re-introduction of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in the discharge of responsibilities

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