Stakeholders at a two-day workshop on Citizens’ Engagement on Policing Reforms on Wednesday in Asaba, called for increased manpower for security agencies in Delta
They noted that inadequate manpower and poor working condition among other challenges have over the years hampered effective policing by security agencies.
The workshop, organised by the CLEEN Foundation, a Non-govermental organisation (NGO), with support from the MacArthur Foundation drew participants across the various security agencies in Delta.
The participants at the workshop were from the Police, Immigration, Correctional Services, DSS, NSCDC, State Ministry of Justice, NBA, FIDA and the Civil societies.
In an opening remark, Mr. Nnamdi Odo, CLEEN Foundation’s programme officer, said the workshop provides a platform for the citizens to engage with the security agencies in advocacy for reforms that would bring efficiency in policing.
The Delta Commissioner for Police, Mr. Femi Abaniwonda, in his goodwill message, lauded the organisers of the workshop for their initiative in charting a discourse for better policing in Nigeria.
Abaniwonda, represented by the Command’s Officer-Charge of Legal Matters (OC Legal) CSP Gladys Imegu, said the police in Delta was committed to enhance policing and effective dispensation of justice.
Imegwu, who was accompanied by SP Irabor Sunday, also a legal officer in the state command expressed optimism that the outcome of the workshop would yield positive results.
“I must commend the organisers of this workshop for the initiative at bringing the citizens to engage with the security agencies in charting a way forward for better policing in our society.
“As a lead stakeholder in security, the Nigeria police is very much committed to the dispensation of justice and will continue to work for the good of the society.
“However, the police have continued to operate under challenging conditions, notably among them, shortage of manpower and the uncooperative attitude of the citizens to give information to aid of job”, Imegu said.
In a Charter of Demand presented to the Delta Commissioner of Police, the Coordinator of the Delta Observatory Group, Mr. Chucks Okpunor highlighted some of the observations and recomemdation by stakeholders in repositioning policing in the state.
“Policing reforms in Nigeria have been described over time as motion without movement as successive administrations failed to effectively drive home the key reform recommendations
contained in different presidential police reform committees that were set up in the past.
“Though the reforms lack the political will needed for holistic implementation, however, there has been an incremental effort through legislations since 2015.
“Nigeria witnessed the passage of the Administration of Criminal justice
Act 2015, Passage of Anti-Torture Act 2017, Police Trust Fund Act 2019, the amendment of the Nigeria Correctional Service Act 2019 and successful amendment of the Police Act 2020.
“These legislations have provided the needed legal provisions needed for improved policing and effective justice delivery in Nigeria however implementation and compliance of the state actors has remained a challenge.
“In Delta, the situation is the same as the state government in her effort to reform policing in the state established the Delta Security Trust Fund through the state law in 2014 and amended
the same law in 2016.
“The state government went further to domesticate the administration of
criminal justice law with key innovative provisions intended to improve policing and criminal”, Okpunor noted.
In the charter of demand, the stakeholders expressed displeasure over instances of poor conduct in policing operations by the security agencies in Delta.
They observed that operations of the security agencies are characterized by unprofessional conduct and lack of synergy among them.
The charter also noted the numerous cases of unlawful arrest and detention, unnecessary stop and search, abuse of power, corruption and human rights violation of residents.
It called for the provision of modern policing and equipment for the security
personnel and demanded that the state government carryout a needs assessment of modern policing equipment needed for policing operation.
In the charter of demand, the stakeholders made a case for Increased manpower of local and community policing institutions in Delta and ensure adequate renumeration and working conditions for the security personnel.
They also advocated for the provision of adequate insurance for the members of the local and community policing
institutions in the State and establish monthly citizen-security engagement in in the State.
It further called on the state government to support the National Human Rights Commission in the state to hold monthly citizen-security engagement in Delta as a platform for the security agencies and residents to brainstorm on issues of security concern
