Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has called for better funding of the police force for it to perform better.
The IGP made the call on Monday at the National Security Conference on Community Partnership Approach to Internal Security and Crime Management organised by the Police and Sun newspapers, in Abuja.
According to Arase, it was only through adequate funding that the huge logistic demand of the police can be met, noting that modern policing was a cost-intensive venture of which the benefits far outweigh the value of budgetary investment.
“Through effective funding, the welfare needs of police personnel will be met and the challenge of corruption that has eroded professionalism and public respect for police will be addressed,” he said.
The IGP also called for the revival and passage of the Bill on Police Trust Fund still pending before the National Assembly so as to activate the public-police partnership.
The bill, amongst other things, seeks to impose tax on corporate entities in other to compliment the Federal Government in funding the police.
Arase argued that if the bill is passed, the challenges facing the police when it comes to funding would have been addressed, insisting that the security challenges in the country and inadequate manpower would be best addressed through citizens-driven policing model.
“This model will address the manpower deficiency challenge in the Nigeria Police as every citizen plays the role of a police officer,” he said.
Speaking at the conference, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prosecute all those found culpable of corruption.
The Sultan made the call in his key note address at the conference.
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