Emmanuel Udom/
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu hosted the management team of the CLEEN Foundation on August 29, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. The team comprised of Dr Benson Olugbuo, Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, Mrs Ruth Olofin, and Mr Oluwole Ojewale.
The Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, at the parley, congratulated the IGP on his confirmation and appreciated the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) geared towards tackling insecurity across the nation. The Foundation also commiserated with the IGP on the death of police officers on official duty in Taraba State recently.
At the meeting, the CLEEN Foundation raised pertinent issues bordering on Nigeria Police Trust Fund Law; rising and perceived insecurity in Nigeria; election security management and prosecution of electoral offenders; the Nigeria Police Force and the effective implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015; response of the Police to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in different parts of Nigeria; police operations in preventing and countering violent extremism, and the new regime of community policing in Nigeria among other issues.
The IGP responded to the concerns raised by the CLEEN Foundation team as he itemized the proactive steps the NPF is taking to reduce crimes and criminality across Nigeria. He commended CLEEN Foundation for its commitment to evidence-driven advocacy which has spanned over 20 years.
The IGP urged the CLEEN Foundation and other non-state actors not to focus on the shortcomings of the Police only, but to also commend the Force for good practices as this would surely boost the morale of the officers.
He tasked the CLEEN Foundation to continue to provide advocacy support towards the operationalization and effective implementation of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act 2019, by guiding against potential abuse of the fund by some vested interests.
The CLEEN team informed the IGP that the Foundation would hold a National Workshop in Abuja on the 4th and 5th of September, 2019 to discuss Police Budget and the operationalization of the Trust Fund.
The Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation informed the IGP that the meeting would bring relevant stakeholders together to dialogue and present a sustainable framework for the management and utilization of the Police Trust Fund in Nigeria.
Considering recent security developments in the country, the CLEEN Foundation also spoke about the Public Safety and Security Dialogue Series holding in the last quarter of the year with a focus on inter-agency collaboration and synergy among the security agencies in Nigeria.
The meeting concluded with a re-assurance from the IGP that the Nigeria Police Force would continue to partner with CLEEN Foundation and other non-profit organizations on broader issues of public safety and security in Nigeria.