Rot at Police College: Senate, EFCC to probe ministry, formations

Posted by admin Latest Politics, Nigerian Police, Uncategorized Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

THE rot, recently discovered in the welfare scheme of Police College, Ikeja may have elicited a comprehensive probe into the budgets of the Ministry of Police Affair and police formations, over the years.

Already, the Senate has iniated moves to look into the books of the ministry, with a view to ascertain the integrity of expenditures, through various public sittings of its Committee on Public Accounts.

Also, hints emerged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may also wade into the alleged misappropriation of funds at the Police College.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja Monday, the Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmed Lawan, said that the body has put in place a machinery to look into the budgets of the ministry and find the level of utilisation of the funds.

He disclosed that the committee would go beyond police institutions, noting that the rot discovered by President Goodluck Jonathan following a documentary by a national television station may not be limited to that institution,

“I don’t have any figure off-hand as to how much has been appropriated. But one thing is very certain and clear from the visit of Mr. President to the police college in Lagos that some agencies of government have not been living up to expectations.

“The public accounts committee has already taken some steps to ensure that the police authorities appear before the committee to explain the utilisation of the funds appropriated, particularly to the college.

“But we are also expanding beyond the college because this is a sign that all is not okay with the police organisation. I hope that the rot will stop with the police college. But if in the course our investigation, we discover that the rot expands beyond the college and that some organisations within the police are facing the same thing, then we have to take very serious action.

“First, we have to determine whether the funds were adequate so that if the funds were not adequate, we would like to see how prudent, economically and efficiently the scare resources were utilised. If, however, the funds were enough and that someone failed to do his or her duty, we will surely recommend serious sanctions for whoever is responsible.

Admitting that there must been some gap in the oversight functions of the relevant committees of the National Assembly on the Ministry of Police Affairs, the lawmaker said that it was also incumbent on the ministry and other agencies in charge of police to discover the rot.

“I will agree to the extent that the National Assembly, particularly the Senate and House Committees on Police Affairs should have detected this rather than the President. But it is also vey correct to say that there is Police Affairs and there is Police Service Commission. These are people that are directly involved with them.

“So, it is a responsibility that we share. But I believe that we are supposed to take the lead in the oversight process because this is our major work. We are supposed to be visiting institutions and organisations that have been appropriated public funds to ensure that the funds are utilised properly. So, this is an eye opener not only for the police affairs committees but for other committees.

“And the Senate President has consistently told us to ensure that we have oversight functions and programmes that would ensure that no public fund is put in another way or used in an imprudent manner. Therefore, I am sure that we would step up our oversight functions. And the President should do more of this kind of thing because it would give the trainees the impression and confidence that their leaders are really concerned with what happens with their training at institutions’’, he said.

It was gathered that EFCC has already mobilised its team to investigate the remote causes of the rot at the police college

A source at the commission, who spoke on condition of anonymity said that no stone would be left unturned in the course of the investigation.

Via Guardianwp_posts