…As Minister solicits NGO’s assistance for police
By Seun Adams
Doctors without Borders /Medecins Sans Frontieres, has said it has expended over N17.7 billion for humanitarian gestures across the different geographical zones since it began operations in the country in 1996.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi has sought medical support for Police and their children from the Non-Governmental-Organization (NGO), to enable them to discharge their duty efficiently.
He said this during a courtesy visit by “Doctors without Boarder” led by the Head of Mission in Nigeria, Mr. Syed Shaukat Muttaqi to the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja recently.
The police, the Minister asserted are part of the society and they are vulnerable people in the country which had led to the loss of lives of officers in the course of protecting the citizens thereby need the support of everybody including Doctors without Borders.
“I believe that you are aware that the police are one of the most vulnerable security services in the country.
“We have lost so many and many officers had been affected with injury, as partners in progress, we do hope you can extend some of the services to police hospitals in the country”. He said.
He recalled the activities of the group while he was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health in Sokoto state years back, and thanked the organization for promoting local content through the employment of over 90% of Nigerians as staff of the organization.
Also speaking, Dr. Simba Tirima, revealed that the group has been around since 1996, rendering medical support to all the geopolitical zones of the country, noting that the sum of N17.7 billion has been expended by the group on humanitarian services to vulnerable people in the country.
Simba enumerated some of the group activities like free medical services to pediatrics, maternity interventions, primary health care for IDP’s, medical care for laser fever patients, provision of clinical equipment to some hospitals, and food/nutritional support as well as unflinching support to the Ministry of health through the provision of response services especially during the covid-19 outbreak.
In another development, Dingyadi, has charged Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) to focus more on capacity building, advocacy, sensitization, and more collaboration with the community to achieve the aims and objectives of the organization.
He stated this during a courtesy call by the National Working Committee (NWC) members of the Police Community Relations Committee led by its Chairman, Amb. Farouk Maiyama, to the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja.
He said PCRC should continue to focus on sensitization and publicity to enable them achieved the aims and objectives of the organization noting that they would be better more active and efficient as community police relations committee rather than upgrading to police community board as an agency under government.
“The essence of your organization is to have a link between people and police. These are the kind of things we want and the benefit of what you are doing to the country is huge and once that link is lost the police would have a lot to lose”. He said.
According to him, the PCRC is needed now more than previous years because of the security nature of this country and through their activities Nigerians should be able to appreciate what police are doing in the country.
Earlier, Ambassador Farouk Abdullahi Maiyama, expressed the desires to continue to partner and support the ministry to ensure that the country is safe and secure for all citizens.
He said PCRC recognizes the critical role of women and youths in tackling the security challenges currently facing the country and the National Executive Council resolved to establish Women and Youth Committee, capacity building committee, and urging the Ministry to upgrade the PCRC to a Community Policing Board, which the minister declined.