Finance Ministry tasked with implementing a new salary package for police officers.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, has announced that all necessary computation to guide the new salary package have been concluded and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for onward implementation.
The Minister disclosed this during a press briefing at the State House on Thursday where he spoke on the current state of policing and security in the country as well as the ongoing innovation been executed in the Police.
Dingyadi noted that the computation has been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning for implementation and it is expected to commence soon.
He said, “The newly approved emolument for the police personnel further proves the government commitment to the welfare which is a key component of police reforms under Buhari.
“All the necessary computation to guide the new salary package have been concluded and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning for implementation which is expected to commence very soon.”
The information comes five months after the minister approved a 20 per cent upward review of salary for the police expected to take effect from January 2022.
Speaking on the achievements of the Ministry of Police Affairs since the task to reform the police began in June 2019, Dingyadi said there has been the domestication of community policing, resuscitation of the police complaint committee, enhancement of police welfare and enactment of the police academy bill into law.
Other achievements, he highlighted include improve manpower requirements in Nigeria through police recruitment of constables, information technology for biometric data capturing and the establishment of the best West African police system for intelligence gathering in sub-Sahara, Africa.
On the state of insecurity across the geopolitical regions, the minister said there has been an onslaught on Boko Haram and affiliate groups in the North-East and North-West regions.
The Minister explained that this has degraded their capabilities through fierce military campaigns and police support.
He noted that the ugly trends of other isolated criminalities in the Middle-belt, South-South, and South-West, are currently receiving adequate attention through the deployment of human and operational asset to neutralize the menace.
Dingyadi added, “Security in the South East came under threat, following violent attacks on security formations and civilians by militant Biafran separatist group.
“Sustained security operations in this region have in recent times localised their operations to Imo and Anambra States while government continue to employ strategies to engender peace and security in the entire South East.
“Unlike the South East, the South-South region is relatively free from violent criminalities. However, there are isolated cases of kidnap for ransom and armed robbery and it’s been dealt with by the police and other security agencies.
“A special task force against oil theft set up by the IGP is operating in the zone to check illegal bunkering and related acts of economic sabotage.”
On insecurity in the South West, he added, “The security situation in this region is similar to that of the South-South. Instances of oil theft in this zone is also been reduced to the barest minimum.”
On the enactment of the Police Trust Fund into law, the minister disclosed that the Fund was successfully delivered on its 2020 budget with the purchase of operational vehicles, arms and ammunition, bulletproof vest and helmets for police operation.
“The fund also purchased medical items to meet the health need of policemen nationwide while offices and residential accommodation also received face-lift,” he added.
Source- The Whistler