Members of the National Assembly, NASS, opted for a noisy shouting match on Thursday at the 2025 budget defence session when the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, was presenting details of the last year’s budget of the Nigeria Police Force.
Meanwhile, in defending the 2025 budget for the police before the Joint Committees on Police Affairs and Police Institutions at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, Egbetokun stressed the need to remove the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), from the envelope budgetary regime to allow for accurate funding projections.
He explained that this adjustment would enable greater flexibility and ensure the availability of funds to manage the force more effectively.
Still, in another budget defence-related development, the National Assembly Joint Committee on Agricultural Production and Services issued a stern warning that agencies under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security risk receiving zero budget allocations for 2025 if their chief executive officers fail to appear in person to defend their budget estimates.
Trouble started in the NASS when Egbetokun, was giving a breakdown of funds used for the construction of five zonal police headquarters in the country.
The IGP had barely started his presentation when a member of the House of Representatives, Mark Esset from Akwa Ibom interjected – questioning why the details of what the IGP read is not contained in the document given to him.
But it was Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi – a member of the All Progressives Congress and Principal Officer that turned on the heat, insisting that as a senator he should have the appropriate copy of what the IGP dished out to them.
Nwebonyi said: “We are here to serve Nigerians and Nigerians should see us as a very serious institution.
“We are not against the presentation of the IGP. But I, as the Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, should have a copy of what the IGP is reading.”
Efforts to explain his intention were thwarted as members of the joint committee shouted him down.
Nwebonyi’s spirited efforts to raise his Point of Order was overruled by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, Honourable Abubakar Makki Yalleman, as he asked the IGP to continue with his presentation.
Nwoebonyi angrily packed his belongings and stormed out of the budget defence exercise.
He kept exchanging hot words with mostly House of Representatives members who jeered at him as he took his exit.
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Yusuf Gagdi, who represents Panshin/Kanam/Kanke Federal Constituency of Plateau State, was apparently disappointed at what played out.
He explained that the committee’s decision to allow the IGP to continue to speak was in line with established parliamentary procedures.
He added that it is completely out of place for lawmakers to interject when they do not have the floor.
When the dust simmered down – the IGP continued his presentation. On recruitment, Egbetokun disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has increased the yearly quota from 10,000 to 30,000 and that this will greatly improve the Force’s performance.
He urged the National Assembly to help the police deliver on its mandate “otherwise we depend only on the budgetary allocation.
“We are glad that this committee has identified the gross underfunding of the police,” he said.
While defending the 2025 budget for the police before the Joint Committees on Police Affairs and Police Institutions at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, Egbetokun also advocated the need for the approval and creation of a special operations account dedicated solely to national security emergencies, as well as an increase in allocations for overhead and capital expenditure.
He further called for the allocation of funds for the construction of five new zonal headquarters, along with supporting tactical units critical to internal security.
He said this is in addition to the approval of dedicated budget lines for police training institutions to enhance capacity building.
The IGP also stressed that the prompt and full release of appropriated funds in the 2025 budget would be essential for the smooth functioning of the entire force.
He expressed his gratitude to the Joint Committees for their engagement during the critical budgetary session.
He reiterated the force’s commitment to working collaboratively with the committees to reposition the NPF, aligning it with the shared vision of a secure and stable nation.
Also, the IGP issued a comprehensive policy directive following a recent conference with heads of police investigation units nationwide.
He further directed a strict implementation of the Child Rights Act 2003 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The new directive, Force Spokesperson said, is a significant move by the IGP to improve police professionalism and the standardisation of criminal investigations across Nigeria.
Egbetokun stressed this initiative aims to refine investigative practices and ensure that all personnel involved in criminal investigations are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their duties effectively.
His words: “The key components of the new policy include a strict process for the mobilisation and demobilisation of police personnel within and outside criminal investigation departments.
“Specialised detective training has been made mandatory for all investigative personnel, with officers who complete the training to be certified and officially recognised as detectives”.
He added that all personnel in investigation units will be required to participate in annual detective workshops and undergo training programs at the Force Intelligence Training School in Share, Kwara State.
The Force Spokesperson said that this initiative underscored the commitment of the IG to ensure the Nigerian Police Force have enhanced quality of investigation and uphold the highest standards of professionalism in upholding the law.
He noted that the police remain dedicated to ensuring international best practices and respecting the rights of every individual.
