The Presidency has ordered an immediate probe into how over N2 Billion (Two Billion Naira) released in the last four years for the renovation of Police Colleges in the country was spent.
This is even as indication emerged that the Police Authorities who had hitherto collaborated with Channels television to seek private sector help in the rebuilding of the Police College may after all back off.
Sources hinted Pointblanknews.com that a forum scheduled to hold in Lagos on January 22, 2013 to seek the private sector help for the Police College would not have top brass of the Police in attendance.
The forum in Lagos with private sector will be sensitized on the need to come together to rebuild the college and bring up to international standard.
There are unconfirmed reports that police Chiefs and top officials of the Ministry of Police Affairs maybe axed following the deplorable condition of the Police Colleges despite Billions of Naira released for its renovation between 2009 and 2012.
“As I am talking with you now, I am not sure any of our ogas (Police
Chiefs) will attend the forum tomorrow. Everyone is afraid not to further incur the wrath of the President following what he saw at the Police college,” a source who does not want to be mentioned told pointblanknews.com
The police project is the Channels Television station’s corporate social responsibility of Channels Television for year 2013.
However, sources told pointblanknews.com that the probe became very necessary following the level of decay of infrastructure as witnessed by President Goodluck Jonathan during his unscheduled visit to the Police College, Lagos.
Pointblanknews.com was reliably informed that in the budget years of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, over N2 Billion was approved for the renovation of all Police Colleges and Training Centers but the funds when released, ended up in the private pockets of top Police Chiefs in connivance with officials of the Police Affairs Ministry.
A very reliable source gave a breakdown of budgetary allocation to the Nigerian Police for the yearly upgrade of police Colleges and Training Centers as between 2009 and 2012 as follows: 2009-N700Million, 2010-N759 Million, 2011-N291 Million, 2012-N296 Million, bringing it to a total of
N2.046 Billion in the last four years.
In the 2012 Budget, N52 million was provided for motorcycles, N203 million for vehicles, N310 million for vans, and N596 million for armored personnel carriers.
The Police Command also proposed N431 million on arms and ammunition, N84 million for video security surveillance systems in Borno, Kano, Oyo, Edo and Anambra States, N52 million for automatic fingerprint identification system, N84 million for forensic and DNA test laboratory, and N241 million for explosive ordinance disposal equipment for the Anti-Bomb Squad.
Other items of expenditure in the 2012 Budget include N295 million for anti-riot equipment, N450 million for bullet-proof vests gear, N243 million for anti-terrorism equipment (whatever that means), N165 million for security intelligence equipment, and N271 million for UHF walkie-talkies and rehabilitation of its outdated analog UHF communications system. The budget for barracks rehabilitation and construction is N585 million.