By Mohammed Mohammed
The Federal Government on Tuesday said it is determined to improve the security of all citizens in the country with a view to reducing the current security challenges bedeviling the country.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, stated this at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja, during the inauguration of the Committee to study the recommendations and implementation strategies on strengthening internal security framework and community policing in Nigeria.
The Minister said the journey to the committee’s inauguration began with the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 40, which held in 2018 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), on strengthening internal security framework and community policing in Nigeria.
According to the Minister, the absence of a National Security Policy and Strategy document as well as a monitoring and evaluation framework on internal security has negatively affected the operations of the internal security agencies in the country which therefore necessitated the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to approve an Inter-Ministerial Committee with all relevant stakeholders on Internal Security to be put in place.
Aregbesola stressed that one of the nine priority areas of the president Administration is to improve governance and provide security for all citizens. “Therefore, it calls for all seriousness to provide the needed apparatus and security architecture to fight insecurity in the country.”
The Committee which was divided into 7 units include: The Committee to develop Internal Security Policy and Strategy with the Interior Minister as Chairman, Committee to Develop Mechanism for effective Synergy and Coordination among Internal Security Agencies and adopt Community Policing as a National Strategy with the Police Affairs Minister as Chairman, Committee to Develop Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Internal Security Operatives with the Permanent Secretary of Interior as Chairman, Committee on the Application of Appropriate Science, Technology and Innovation for Strengthening Internal Security, Management, including Forensic Satellite Imagery, Drones, CCTVs etc with the representative of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology Innovation as Chairman, Committee on the Establishment of Internal Security Trust Fund with Permanent Secretary Ministry of Police Affairs as Chairman, Committee on the Appropriate Devolution of Control of Resources along the Chains of Command of Internal Security Agency with the Director General, National Drug Law & Enforcement Agency as Chairman and the Committee to Innovate Funding Mechanism for upgrading Equipment Holdings of Internal Security Agencies and for providing Needed Equipment for Security Agencies with the Inspector General, Nigeria Police Force as Chairman.
Aregbesola said: “I do not need to reiterate the seriousness of this assignment, providing security for lives and property of the citizens is the primary responsibility of Government. This is a mission on which we cannot afford to fail.”
Outlining the 3 clear mandates, he said, there must be a new and effective strategic thinking that should be at least two steps ahead of these current challenges.
He pointed out the recent incidences at the correctional facilities are no longer internal insurrection by inmates but mass armed invasion from outside. A new strategy therefore must emerge to tackle these new challenges.
Secondly is the issue of galvanizing resources –human, financial and technology and third concern is community policing.
According to him, the people are the primary agents in their security, nevertheless, they must be socialized and well organized along that line-with the people in the first line of Defence.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore expressed his appreciation to the Minister and the Executive Course (SEC) 40, 2018 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), for the Report and Documents on Monitoring and Evaluation Framework on internal security that made Buhari to approve this Inter-Ministerial Committee.
Other members of the Committee are officers from ONSA, NN, NA, NAF, DSS, OSGF, IPCR, FMST, NICOMSAT, FMDE and Brig, General, Udaya (rtd) NIPSS DG, Air Commodore I.J Ukeh, representative of Chief of Air Staff, Brig Gen. MK Ibrahim representative of Chief of Army Staff, Service Chiefs under Ministry of Interior and other personalities.
