The acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba on Wednesday lamented that the police has no money for its operations despite the serious security situation in the country.
According to Baba, the police has become ‘Miracle Player’ in view of the attacks on its facilities and its men despite lack of funds and has still been able to achieve the successes it has so far recorded.
The acting IGP, who stated this during a meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila in Abuja, said: “We have not account” to go and dip our hands and do quick deployment in terms of mitigation or even proactively stopping what is to come. Sincerely speaking, year-in, year-out, besides what we have as allocations, we have problems meeting emergencies.
“We are requesting that you look more into our predicament. We are really underfunded and there is nothing or less one can do without funds.
“Normally, operations should have a fund that you can quickly deploy to areas whether it is a natural or man-made crisis. The police do not have that at all. We always rely on our budgetary allocations which are not enough.
”I agree that one may not get completely what he wants even in his house. We are managing what we have.
“The most essential thing I want to plead is for the House of Representatives to look into the areas of funds for our operations.”
In his response, the Speaker pledged the support of the House, saying the members have never cut funding for the police unless it was absolutely necessary.
”What I am saying is that I believe that we do provide these things, but as it trickles down, where the problem is what we need to resolve so that even the policemen we are trying to protect can feel good about themselves and about what they do,” he said.
