Federal Government has directed the police to work out modalities that will facilitate the conclusion of additional works to enable the utilization of the proposed Public Security Communication network on the 450 MHz frequency.
Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo issued this directive at a meeting of the Interim Implementation Committee on the Reform of the Nigeria Police Force at the State House, Abuja.
Vice President Sambo emphasized the need to utilize this frequency to enable progress in areas of combating insecurity. He stated that, ‘the police should go ahead and use the frequency while the Inspector General of Police (IGP) continues discussions with the company and the ICC to see how pending issues will be resolved’.
Following issues raised by the IGP on the overlap of functions of the Nigerian Police and other related agencies such as the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), Vice President Sambo pointed out that, ‘the NSCDC was legally established by an Act of the National Assembly (NASS) with defined legal statutes but their functions are yet to be properly established’, He directed that the Committee assists by looking into areas of conflict in roles between the agencies and the police with a view to defining them accordingly.
Earlier the Minister of Police Affairs Caleb Olubolade informed the Vice President that the Strategic Plan for the Reform Programme run for the private sector participation has been prepared. Based on a run down given by Messrs Accenture, the plan is about to be opened up now to a larger body of stakeholders slated for the second quarter of 2013. He appealed to the Vice President to intervene in ensuring a re-introduction of the Nigeria Police Force Reform Trust Fund Bill for consideration in the NASS, pointing out that the passage of this bill into law will open up other legitimate sources of funding for the police force besides the National Treasury.
Present at the meeting were Minister of State Finance Yerima Ngama, Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, Anambra state Governor Peter Obi, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Police Affairs and others.