The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, has stressed the need to prioritize recruitment, training and funding of the Nigeria Police force.

Mr Gbajabiamila was speaking at a public hearing on a bill for an act to repeal the police service act and enact the police service commission bill 2020 as well as a bill for an act to provide for the establishment of the national institute for police service.

The speaker explained that the bills are the first attempt to institute an independent system for holding erring Police officers to account for abuse of power and related misconduct in office.

“We must attempt to weed out the few rotten eggs that seem to give the police force, men and women who lay their lives and put their lives out there on a daily for you and me a (bad name) and that is why we are taking this bill seriously.”

He added that the Bill would also increase the minimum requirement into the constabulary and allow for the recruitment of more qualified candidates into the Nigerian Police force.

The Minister of police affairs, Alh Muhammad Maigari, stated that the proposed bill is timely at this time when a highly disciplined police force is needed in the country.

Alh Maigari however, observed that a section of the draft bill has removed the powers of the President to remove the Chairman and members of the police service commission leaving only the power of members to resign at their own time.

The Minister also question the section of the Bill that gives responsibility for recruitment of constables into the police force and recruitment of cadets into the police academy in the hands of the Inspector General of Police.

The Inspector-General of Police, Muhammad Adamu while adopting the ministry’s position on the bill explained that a seasoned technocrat is needed to head the police service commission

The chairman House Committee on police affairs, Bello Usman Kumo urged the stakeholders to make meaningful contributions that would reform the Nigeran police for effective service delivery.

Ibrahim Shehu