Since her assumption of duty in August as Minister of State , Police Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman- Ibrahim as pioneer woman Minister since the creation of the Ministry, heated the ground running towards respositioning the activities and the image of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), in conjunction with the senior Minister ,Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam in the country.
This was at backdrop of numerous problems bedeviling the main security organ in Nigeria charged with addressing efforts militating against the smooth operations of the police in line with the global best practices.
Coming from a well experienced and exposed background, Imaan’s portfolio was an opportunity to prove her mettle at the public office, through holding enlarged stakeholders meetings , retreats and visits to inundate herself with the rudiments of her new status.
In good working relationship with the senior Minister, Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam, Hajiya Imaan had prepared a road map towards professionalising the Police to compete favourably with the global expectations.
No wonder , having acquainted herself with the national demands of the Police, took time on a sojourn to the international conference to San Diego, not only to understudy the workability and collaborations of the Police with other internal security outfits in the global world, but also to see the need to improve and compete favourably with the global best practices.
Since her appointment and assumption of duty in August 21st, 2023 , the zeal to leave a strong legacy of performance through improved National security, Internal security and emerging security challenges was the vision and mission she intended to attain within her stint.
This was evident in synergy with her senior Minister by embarking on series of retreats, seminars , workshops, talkshops both for the Ministry staffers and the Police personel to acquaint them of modern and modest way to improve the performance of the Nigeria Police Force, (NPF).
Already, to rejig the internal security, a proposal the withdraw Police personel attached to ‘Very Important Personalities’ VIPs, geared towards developing community policing and transformative policy of the federal government in line with the ongoing reforms is muted in the blueprint.
She had embarked not only on a familiarisation and working visit to Nigeria Police Academy , Wudil, a degree awarding institution of the Police heirachy were she sought for modest orientation, curriculum review and development, infrastructural development across board, rejigged the selection process and modernize it’s programs, in tandem with modern day Police Force.
Aside the Nigeria Police Academy, she also visited other police formations across the country to acquaint herself with the progress of development and problems of the formations, with a charge that a new Police Force must be birthed.
Imaan as a policy statement has recommended the good working relationship between the Police and the citizens, known as Civil -Police relationship to foster not only community policing, using Town Hall Meetings, among other strategies that will foster Police interaction with the public, as an aspect of training and retraining and not the mere slogan of ‘Police Is Your Friend’ .
With an enabling environment and proactiveness of the Minister (s) , no doubt , the Police Affairs Ministry will be come the pride of the nation in the subsequent years.
Yusuf Writes from Abuja on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.