The Federal Government and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, have proposed to recruit N-Power cadets whose two-year service will soon come to an end or youth corps members or any of the other institutions to boost the manpower of the Nigerian Police Force.

Meantime, President Muhammmadu Buhari has directed governors and security chiefs to work out detailed modalities for the suggested takeoff date so that it can be draft into a plan of action. Briefing State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa Abuja, Chairman of NGF, and Ekiti state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said both parties felt the recruitment of 10,000 policemen to tackle the dearth of security agents in the country was inadequate.

Fayemi, said he briefed the President on the outcome of the security committee of the National Economic Council which he chairs, adding that the committee reviewed concerns, issues around security and the proposed reactions on those.

He said, “This was a meeting that had in its membership the governors from the six zones, the Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff and the National Security Adviser.

“It was the outcome of the last Economic Council meeting which focused exclusively on security. That committee has just met a couple of days ago and I was asked to brief both the Vice President who chairs the National Economic Council and to brief the President as well on the aspect of the work of the sub-committee of NEC that will require the Commander-in-Chief’s support.

“Namely, the organisation of the community policing arrangement that the IGP has announced publicly as his own way of effective response to security challenges across the board.

“The coordination between governors and security chiefs within the six zones and then recruitment into the law enforcement agencies. As you maybe aware, certain recruitments are going on now particularly with regard to the police.

“But, we feel in our humble opinion that 10,000 men and women are not enough to add to the police in tackling the dearth of security agents in the country. That we will have to figure out a way to increase that number either out of the NPower cadets who are coming to the end of their service year having spent two years or youth service corps members or any of the other institutions that will enable us to boost the manpower of the Nigeria Police Force.”

On the President’s response, Fayemi said: “He commended the National Economic Council (NEC) for paying special attention to security and he also urged the NEC committee to work with the security chiefs who have already briefed him during the security meeting on Thursday.

“Mr. President also said that jointly we should workout the detailed modalities for the suggested date so that can be draft into a plan of action.” (Vanguard)

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