Speaking on Democracy Radio on Thursday , the retired officer lamented the under funding of the force and demanded a change of approach to birth a productive and result-oriented police.
He said, “The security situation in Nigeria today is very unfortunate and avoidable . This Insecurity that has so ravaged the nation is what the police could have tamed easily if there was a political will to empower the police.
“What the police is facing today is a hangover from the military rule. Then, the military deliberately under funded the police to give advantage to the military. The police was seen by the military regimes a threat. Hence, the deliberate under funding. Soldiers were everywhere and mandated to carry out the basic duties of police.
” We are yet to appreciate that in democratic countries, police is responsible for internal security. The police hold the ace and are directly in charge of internal security. Why is Nigeria situation different? Military khaki should not be seen everywhere doing the job of the police.
“The military has its own role. There shouldn’t be any clash. Each institution has its own mandate which should be followed strictly.
“We have a very wrong impression of the police. The citizens do not respect the force. The government doesn’t fund the force properly. At every opportunity, we turn to lambast the police and brand Personnel as failures. Even those on essential duties are poorly paid. Where is the multivation to perform supposed to come from?”
He urged Nigerians to demand for proper funding of their police.
When asked what he would do differently if given the power to effect enduring reforms of the force, he lividly said he would scrap the entire system until the government and Nigerians are ready to do the needful.
“There’s no need to avoid the truth at this point. I would scrap the force immediately since soldiers are better equipped to perform the duties of the police. If I’m to advise the president, I will appeal to him to scrap it too. There’s no need keeping a moribund police. It would stay scrapped till the government and Nigerians are ready to reform and birth a result oriented police, ” he stressed.
Ojukwu appealed to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to properly fund the police to enable it secure Nigeria and her citizens.