Thursday 26th June 2014...
Conference resumed sitting - of course after saying the national prayer as always at 9:15am presided over by the chairman.
Votes and proceedings of the previous day were read, amended and adopted as amended.
On that day, conference considered the recommendations made on the committee on National security report which was not adopted the previous day due to the exclusive session held.
Here are some of the recommendations made by the committee and additional recommendations made by delegate;
- Henceforth, any state of the federation desirous of having a State Police Force can establish, fund and control it. The State Police will cover the state and operate within the laws enacted by the State Assembly.
- In addition to state police, sate laws should also provide for community policing.
- State governors should be involved in the running of the Federal Police in their respective states.
- Officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police in the Federal Police should be deployed to their states of origin - this to me doesn't make sense.
- To make the police more people friendly, an amendment to section 214 of the 1999 constitution was recommended so that The Nigeria Police Force will be called The Nigeria Police - Na by change of name ? - You may ask are you not part of the conference? I answer - not all recommendations adopted is adopted by all.
- Establishment of a National Border Patrol Force to secure and protect the nations border. The Border Patrol Force is to be domiciled in the Ministry of Defence.
- Creation of a Security and Intelligence Services Oversight Committee (SISOC) to map out our security architecture.
The committee is to be composed of a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria as chairman, a former head of the Civil Service, and a former Director General of the State Security Service or National Intelligence, as members.
- Establishment of Water Way Safety Corps to man the waterways and riverine areas. The corps is expected to perform similar functions as that of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC)
- Government was mandated to enact a law that would impose speed limit on convoys of government officials and limit to the number of vehicle to be in such convoys. The number of vehicles in the convoys is to be determined by Federal Road Safety Corps in consultation with the Police and the Department of States Security Service.
Such a law is expected to reduce the recklessness of convoys of government officials which had in the past led to loss of lives; it would also reduce wastage of government funds.
But we all know these police officers that are meant to be consulted contribute to the fleet of convoys in this country. This is the case of finding solution from the problem, result will be - problematic solution.
Further recommendations;
- Retired military personnel should be mobilized and trained to fight terrorism - I so like this! If you see the faces of the retired military men in the conference when that recommendation was adopted eheeen! "As in" and "WTH" written all over their faces LOL?
- Government was also mandated to set up Counter Terrorism Architecture to among others: harmonize national counter terrorism efforts; and provide the platform for foreign assistance.
It would equally interface between Nigeria and Africa Union (AU) countries especially contiguous states such as Niger, Chad, Cameroun and African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism and engage the services of well trained counter terrorism operatives to work within the established in-country infrastructure.
- Federal character outlook of the military be reflected at the entry point into the Nigeria Defense Academy in cases of officers and at the recruitment stages and training depots, in case of soldiers, airmen, and sailors.
- Table of equipment including clothing should be updated regularly instead of waiting for the declaration of a state of emergency.
- Establishment of a Military Industrial Zone which will include but not limited to collaboration with the industrial and manufacturing sector in the area of research and development, production, use and support for military, training weaponry and equipment.
- Life insurance for all armed security personnel by government.
- Federal Government should set aside a special fund to rehabilitate and reconstruct the North East, which has suffered devastating attacks from Boko Haram.
- Communities such as Odi in Bayelsa State, Zaki Biam in Benue state and others that were destroyed in the process of restoring internal peace be compensated.
- On gender issue, the recommendation that government should ensure gender mainstreaming with respect to recruitment into the Armed Forces and the various security agencies was approved but one recommendation recurring 50% women inclusion in security outfits was strongly rejected. LOL! Some of the Women recommendations though...
- Compulsory life insurance for all armed security personnel by government as well as imploring the Federal Government to look into all pending Police Reform Committees/Panel Reports and implement their recommendations.
- Inspector general of Police should be the accounting officer of the Nigeria Police and be answerable to the Nigeria Police Council on financial matters.
- Government should review the procedure of using the military in the aid of civil authority in matters of internal security because the existing procedure referred to as the “blue and brown cards” which was signed by the Prime Minister in 1960 is obsolete.
- The Nigeria Air Force, should be more involved in the management of Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority in securing the country’s airspace.
- The abuse and misuse of police officers as guards and aides was recommended to be stopped. Saying more police officers are doing duties that they are not recruited to do.
This reminded me of the aides of a delegate I saw the other day at the venue of the conference. More than 5 police officers and about 10 civilian guarding him; I had to ask the ones behind - "all of you for one person"? They gave me a look and continued following their boss.
Now this is just one, mind you there are more of such delegates, some with 5 police officers as guards some with more, some with less. See the drain in policing? These are officers that ought to secure and safeguard the people not the special people.
Well, after adopting some of the recommendations and rejecting some, the 67 page report of the committee on National Security was adopted as amended.
We adjourned at 6:39 pm to resume on Monday.
On Twitter: @Yadomah....
No comments:
Post a Comment