by Akan Ido

There are indications that president Goodluck Jonathan might be considering a major shake-up in the Nigeria Police Force and the ministry of police affairs after his unscheduled visit to the Police College in Lagos last week.

Sources say the president is worried that funds have been budgeted for some police colleges around the country without any visible improvement in facilities.

The source said, “The picture being painted is that of total neglect of the police training colleges, including the one in Ikeja.

“But the fact is that some money was budgeted for those colleges. How has the money been spent? There will be a probe and anybody found wanting will be sacked.”

Read the Punch Newspaper report below:

Already, sources said top officials at the Ministry of Police Affairs, the Police Service Commission, and the office of the Inspector-General of Police have  been put under scrutiny over the condition of  the PCI.

It was also gathered that the DIG ‘E’ Department, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, who oversees training in the Nigeria Police, might be called upon to give explanations on the “unacceptable magnitude” of rot in the police training schools.

Jonathan, who could not hide his anger during  the visit to the PCI  en route Cote d’Ivoire for the ECOWAS Summit on Mali, said  that the  rot , being televised as a documentary on a Lagos-based privately-owned Channels Television, was meant to tarnish the image of his  administration.

The documentary was said to have informed his unscheduled visit to the college.

“This is a calculated attempt to damage the image of this government. The Police College, Ikeja, is not the only training institution in Nigeria,” he had said.

His questions on who got Channels  to film the depreciation in facilities caused by years of sustained decay were not answered  by  the embattled commandant of the college.

A confidant of the President said that Jonathan was of the view that those appointed to occupy sensitive positions had failed to do their jobs.

The President’s visit coincided with a  wedding reception being held at the Police College.

There were fears that the police college had long deviated from the standard norms associated with a police formation .

It was learnt that the field of the Police College was being rented out to the public for ceremonies ranging from weddings, funerals and sundry social activities. The proceeds from such rentals hardly appear in the college’s books nor do  they  reflect in the maintenance of facilities in the school.

Also, those in charge of the PCI  were alleged to place priority on such rentals at the expense of serious training programmes in the school.

The Police Public Relations Officer  of the PCI, Mr. Agu Genny, however, said he did not know if money was paid to the college for renting the field as it was not under his responsibility.

“I don’t know how much or if money is paid for using the field because it is not my responsibility. That question should be directed to the officer in charge of finance or the commandant of the college”, he said.

Like the proceeds from the rentals, monies realised from  billboards, including spectacular  boards that are rented by advertising agencies, are not accounted for.

An officer, who declined to give his name because of the sensitivity of the scandal, said, “Look, for many years outdoor advertising agencies have always  erected their spectacular billboards in our premises.

Will the president act decisively on this issue or it will be swept under the carpet like many have predicted? Only time will tell.