As debate for appropriate funding method for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) continues to mount, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Mr. Fola Arthur-Worrey has said that the only condition for funding of the NPF by the three-tiers of government in Nigeria is to amend the revenue sharing formula of the country.
Arthur-Worrey who gave this condition while delivering a lecture at an event in Lagos recently, also said that if the states were going to fund the Police, they were going to have quality control over the Police.
He however kicked against the creation of State Police on the ground that it was not going to be easy for state police to be established as according to him, some state had since objected to the idea saying that the idea was not welcomed to them.
In his words,” The three-tier funding of the Police is okay as long as you amend the revenue sharing formula so, it is not a question of usurping somebody else’s obligation and if the states are going to fund them, they are going to have quality control over the Police. But we don’t want state Police because I assure you it is not as easy as you think for us to establish state Police. Some said they don’t want, I mean which state is even managing the one it has very well? So, we must not assume that state Police will do magic. Again, it is members of the State Houses of Assembly that will be giving the list. Attitude and culture is the answer.
“So, if there is three-tier funding as I said, then, we must have the revenue sharing formula rejigged so that the federal will get less.”
He further submitted that another source of funding for the Police which the government was a bit weary of introducing is the security tax which everyone would be expected to pay as was the case with development levy which was paid back then for developmental purposes for which one was required to show evidence of payment if such a person wanted to do business with the government.
“Now, if we do a tax, it could be N100, it could be N50 every month, so, if we can get 90 million people to pay N100, I think we will have over N10 billion every month, then we will be able to meet those recurrent need because nobody has mentioned the cost of fuel. That tax will show a lot of improvement”, he added.
On shoring up funding for the Police, the former Executive Secretary said that “the first question is not really about how much money we can give the Police, that is not going to answer the question, it is not sustainable, we are still an oil price based economy, because they just call these figure as if they are something you slushed out in the bank. I think the main question is where is the funding going to come from. We must not presume that because we set up a Police Trust Fund, automatically, money is going to come; money comes to the Fund as per the health of the economy.
“So, the first principle is not to rely on other people’s money, the first principle is to rely on government finance. So, if we are talking about increasing money for the Police, the first thing you need to do is, you may need to analyze the Police Trust Fund. I think the first thing we have to do is to say from where will government save sufficient money to post into Police funding. We can’t just talk about billions as if they are out there.
“We need a government that will be courageous enough to say no more foreign travel for trainings, we travel too much, we just wander about and come back to the same mess. I remember when I was in the Trust Fund, the Police will take people to Israel for counter terrorism training and they come back well trained but they have no will, they have no radio, that doesn’t make sense. Bring the trainers to Nigeria and cut cost. So, my proposal first of all is that government look at cost saving, which savings they will now move to the Police.
Photo: Former LSSTF CEO, Mr. Fola Arthur-Worrey.
Send your news, press releases/articles to augustinenwadinamuo@yahoo.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @ptreporters and on Facebook on facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526, 08053908817.
