Chronicling the success story of the Ministry of Police Affairs

As a starter, security can be aptly and simply defined as all the measures that are taken to protect a place, or to ensure that lives and property of the citizens of a community , state or a nation are adequately guatanteed .It also means the state of being free from danger or threat.
This can therefore be rightly summed and deduced as the establishment of the myriad of Agencies , charged with the arduous constitutional duties of efficiently protecting the lives and property of all the law abiding citizens.

In the extant situation in Nigeria, this means the establishment of the various Military and Para Military Agencies, saddled with the above tasks. They include the formation of a National Police Force , and in this case , the Nigeria Police Force . Also in Nigeria, like in several other climes , there is the Ministry of Police Affairs, which is the Umbrella policy making body of the Nigeria Police.

This was the more reason why the indefatigable President Muhammadu Buhari deemed it right and timely to reintroduce the All-important Ministry of Police Affairs. This was commendably done by the EVER dexterous President Muhammadu Buhari, who made security as one of his cardinal programmes from 2015 to date . That was why the Ministry happily featured in the list of those he reintroduced in 2019. This is with the view to fulfilling his promises to Nigerians during both the 2015 and 2019 campaigns.

There was also little wonder when President Muhammadu Buhari appointed an erudite and Iconic veteran Technocrat, Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi to diligently steer the affairs of the Ministry to greater heights . Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi was born in 1953 in Dingyadi, Sokoto State.He had his Secondary Education at Government College, Sokoto. After his secondary education, he went to the School of Basic Studies for a 2-year course. He later gained admission to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and graduated in 1978.

From a middle level Civil Servant, the Minister of Police Affairs, who is also the Katukan Sokoto, rose to the enviable position of a Permanent Secretary.He was also the Secretary to the Sokoto State Government, between 1999 and 2007. He was also the Gubernatorial Candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party ( DPP), Sokoto State, in the 2007 Election.

On August 21, 2019, when President Muhammadu Buhari swore in the new Ministers, he disclosed that , the return of the Police Affairs Ministry, after about five years of its suspension in the face of precarious security situation in the country, must translate to improved internal security and redress the fears of Nigerians and foreign residents alike that the nation does not take security of lives and property with levity.

He said, ” coming years after the ministry was merged with that of the Interior in 2015 in an action informed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s preference for a lean cabinet, Nigerians must reap the benefits of its re-introduction to tackle burgeoning security issues in the country, exacerbated by pervasive unemployment, kidnapping, crass criminality and sundry internal security issues.”

Indeed, how time flies . The new Ministers recently clocked one hundred days in Office and there are several mind soothing and happy stories of tangible and highly impacting achievements recorded by the Ministry of Police Affairs. One can therefore say without mincing words that, President Muhammadu Buhari’s wisdom in reintroducing the Ministry has never been a mistake and it has started paying up .

The Minister reeled out some of the resounding achievements recently when he inaugurated a new Police Division at Salame town, Gwadabawa Local Government of Sokoto State. It was built and equipped by Dr Abdullahi Balarabe Salame , Member , House of Representatives, representing Gwadabawa/ Illela Federal Constituency, under the Umbrella of the All Progressives Congress ( APC). It was built as part of his constituency projects, fully funded by the Federal Governemnt.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi says, ” the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is anchored on three important pedestals of Fighting Corruption, Insecurity and Develolemnt of the National Economy.

” On security , nothing demonstrates this commitment more than the re-establishment of the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs by Mr President . This singular act is a clear testimony of His desire to secure the lives and property of our people . The position of the Nigeria Police Force as the Lead Agency in internal security is better supported by the creation of the Ministry that has the core mandate to reposition the Force and ensure it occupies its place of pride amongst the best police formations, globally .”

Among the achievevements also, Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi disclosed that, the Ministry had set up a Committee that will ensure the smooth take off of the 470 million Dollars National Public Safety Secutiy System.

According to Dingyadi,” the system has for long not been powered since its completion by ZTE Engineering Company, in 2012. The committee is to also ensure the implementation of the Federal Executive Council resolutions on the project and its consequential take off by the Concessionaire, that is, Mobitel Company.

” Already , an Audit Firm has been appointed to go round and take inventory of all the equipment installed across the country , for proper handing over to the Concessionaire . When this project is completed , it will go a long way in improving the general security of lives and property in the country .”

The Minister further announced that , the Ministry has inaugurated a Ministerial Committee that will midwife the formal take off of the Police Trust Fund by January, 2020. The Fund, according to the Minister, is expected to cater for the training and retraining , provision of modern policing equipment , as well as infrastructural development for the Police Force .

Dingyadi further disclosed that, the Ministry has inaugurated the Ministerial Projects Coordinating Committee ,to oversee the implementation of all approved projects and programmes in line with the government policy direction. He averred ,” In particular , this is to among others , ensure full implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System ( IPPIS), by all agencies supervised by the Ministry .

Alhaji Mahammadu Maigari Dingyadi further said, ‘” it is to in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force ensure the full implementation of the community policing policy , as well as the recruitment of 40,000 ( Fourty Thousand Policemen ), across the country within the tenure of the administration. ”

He also stated that, very shortly the Ministry is going to organize a Retreat for both its staff and the Senior Police Officers , so that , ” we shall all be on the same page in ensuring that, the Nigeria of our dream is peaceful and safe . I and my management team will very soon embark on tour to various police formations across the country , to guage not only the mood, morale of officers and men, but, to fundamentally see for myself the condition in which our policemen and women live .

” At the end of the tour, we shall be better informed of the level of intervention to be provided to them ,to discharge their responsibilitities more effectively . ”

Indeed, it is indisputable and unarguable that , the Ministry of Police Affairs has in the last one hundred days and above , performed creditably, while the Minister and his able Lieutenants have certainly and laudably lived above board . Though , there is much to be done , as Alhaji Mahammadu Maigari Dingyadi has always reiterated, the story is a happy one, so far , so good .

Mani, Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, writes from Sokoto .