2021 budget: We need N24.8 billion to fuel vehicles, motorcycles daily – IGP

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu has said the force would require a budgetary allocation of N24.8bn to fuel police operational needs for effective policing of the country.

Adamu made this known during the budget defence to the House of Representatives Committee on Police affairs led by Hon. Bello Kumo from Gombe State

He also outlined some other challenges facing the force, appealing for more funding.

This came as the Chairman of the committee bemoaned said that N11bn allocation to police was too meager to meet its operational needs.

The IGP said: “The 2021 budget for the force sum up to N469.4 billion, however, the budget office final submission to the National Assembly indicated that a total sum of N449.6 billion, with a reduction of about N21.7 billion from the initial estimate.

“The implication is that, under an ideal situation, the amount that has been reviewed cannot meet up with the requirement of policing the country. For example, the daily fuel consumption for our vehicles that have a petrol engine will take about N22.5 billion to fuel it within the year. The motorcycles we have, it will require N834.4 million to fuel and those vehicles using diesel will require about N1.4 billion. So, feuling alone will take about N24.8 billion.

“The primacy of the Nigerian Police as a lead agency in internal security matter is being challenged with inadequate funding and my desire is to restore the dignity and pride of place of the force within the internal security architecture of the country.

“This Nigeria police is blessed with officers and men who are not only intellectually gifted but exceptionally committed and professionally sound enough to surmount the security challenges facing the nation

Appropriating level of funding is required to provide these personnel logistics to carry out their responsibility.

“The success of ongoing police reform requires that more needs to be done, especially in the areas of adequate funding and institutionalisation of structures in the force

“The restoration of police national assets destroyed during the recent demonstration in the southern part of Nigeria is a case in point. Others include the prompt and early passage into law of police academy Kano, Police Staff College, Jos, the Premier Police Colleges in Ikeja, Kaduna, Maiduguri, and Oji River, and National Institute of Police Studies. These bills are fundamental in police reforms, rejigging the training and retaining of manpower needs of the force. I plead for your continuous support in achieving this Noble objective.

“The 2020 appropriation releases were the problems. The capital appropriated was N14.2 billion but the amount released was N12.8 billion, with an outstanding N1.4 billion yet to be released.

“Because of the lack of appropriate releases, there were challenges noticed during the implementation of the 2020 budget. The problem of envelope budgeting and sealing is always a problem, partial releases of the appropriated fund is a problem, emerging security issues across the country, especially North-wast without a fund for operational support is a problem for us.

“Lack of funding for police operation in the restoration of civil authority in the North-east- that is Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states is a problem for us. Unanticipated crises such as the global threat of the Covid-19 pandemic came unprepared and with no funding. #EndSARS protests and the optimal destruction of police national assets will require funding to bring the structures back to life.

“There is non-availability of a budget life to cater to police special operation in the country and there is a negative impact in the personnel deployment and operational management of various security centers due to lack of operational account.”