The House Committee on Police Affairs led by its chairman, Rep. Usman Bello Kumo, at its budget defence session on Tuesday said the salary and remuneration of police personnel need to be reviewed upward.
The Committee also expressed delight that President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Salaries and Wages Commission in that regard.
At the budget defence of the Ministry of Police Affairs and the Police Service Commission on Tuesday, Rep. Kumo reminded stakeholders of the necessity of internal/external security of the Nation and appealed for the better treatment of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force for optimal performance.
The Committee chairman also expressed concern about the underfunding of the Nigeria Police, assuring that the National Assembly is committed to support the Nigeria Police to achieve their mandate of keep Nigeria and Nigerians safe.
He lamented the destruction of police properties during the recent #EndSARS protests, saying the funds to reconstruct the destroyed infrastructure need to be adequately captured in the budget proposal.
In his presentation, the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, said a comparative analysis between the 2020 budget and the 2021 estimates shows an increase of over N46 billion.
On his part, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu Abubakar, said there were challenges with releases in the 2020 budget, which he said limited the effectiveness of the police.
Also, the Police Service Commission led by its commissioner 1, Mrs. Clara Ogunbiyi said their major challenge in the 2020 budget was the shortfall in releases and their late arrival. The commission gave a breakdown of the 2020 budget performance and expressed optimism for a better budget performance for the 2021 budget.
