In a bid to address security challenges in Nigeria, the Federal Government has approved N13 billion for the commencement of community policing in the country.
Also, the apex government has set up an Ad-Hoc Committee on security and policing headed by the Governor of Ekiti state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to aid proper disbursement of the funds.
The approved fund was disclosed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during a virtual meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) held in Abuja on Thursday.
It was resolved that Fayemi with two other governors would meet with Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, the Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed, and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to coordinate the proper utilization of the funding of the initiative and that a report would then be made back to the Council.
The governor stated that the committee would be meeting further as the need arises to update the council on the progress being made to address insecurity and criminality in the country.
Earlier during the meeting, Fayemi, who chaired the council’s ad-hoc Committee on Security and Policing, made a presentation before the council and noted that engagement with key stakeholders on the operationalization of community policing in the country was ongoing.
Also during the meeting, it was agreed that state governments and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja should upscale their communication strategy at the grassroots level and non-compliance to non-pharmaceutical interventions.
The Council also urged the states and FCT to explore use of local networks and traditional institutions such as Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) to re-orient the public particularly people who had continuously lived in denial of the pandemic but rather chose to display nonchalant attitude towards all the laid down protocols.
