#AriseNewsTownhall: Tracking Funds Crucial to Success of State Police, Says Oshiomhole

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Former Governor of Edo State and Senator representing Edo North at the National Assembly, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has stressed the need for citizens to track funds released for police operations.

He gave the advice against the deplorable conditions of police stations and barracks across the country.

He was speaking at the Arise News Townhall taking place in Abuja.

Responding to question on make funding available for the success of the proposed state police, the former governor argued that increasing funding for police would not address the challenge of insecurity unless the funds are deployed to the purpose for which it was released.

According to him government must have a commitment to ensure that the public gets value for money.

“Let’s look across the country at police barracks over the past 20 years. Let’s do a fact check: how much has been released to the Nigerian Police Force for barracks in the last 20 years? Then go to the barracks and see whether there is any evidence that that money was actually put into the system.

“If we don’t deal with that, there’s no point providing more money*, he said.

Meanwhile, Oshiomhole commended President Bola Tinubu for ceding powers to the state, noting that the issue of state police have been in the front burner for several years but, Tinubu has taken the bold steps to bring it to reality.

“Once you become President, you want to hold onto control — control of operations, control of powers. So for them to now release this power to the states and say “use it” consistently… that will be more than what we’ve had before. It has been on the floor, it has been in discussion, but we didn’t have a President who was willing to release some powers”, he said.