Senate President tasks police on crime control

The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday in Abuja, tasked the Nigerian Police Force on the need to do more in tackling crime in order to restore confidence in all Nigerians.

Saraki made this remark when a delegation from the Police Service Commission visited him at the National Assembly Complex.

The Senate president, who lauded the efforts of the police in ensuring a peaceful and secure society, said the security challenges confronting the country should be tackled frontally.

He, however, said that the Senate would give urgent attention to the bill seeking to establish the Police Academy in Kano to promote professionalism in the force and guarantee the improved welfare of policemen.

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“With what is happening in the country; this is not the time to apportion blame but to find solutions.

“The Police Service Commission is critical through its advisory role in ensuring professionalism in the police force.

“As there is the need to stamp out corruption, it is equally important to reform the police force to ensure that policemen effectively provide the needed services to the nation.

“We are not happy where we are today, it is about time we take it up and correct and we need to be sincere in doing that,’’ Saraki said.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Sir Mike Okiro, expressed worry that nothing had been heard since the bill was submitted to the 7th National Assembly in 2012.

Okiro called for concerted efforts from both chambers of the National Assembly to ensure that the bill is passed expeditiously in order to give a legal backing to the cadets, who would graduate from the institution.