THE nation missed an opportunity to improve Police welfare and ensure its combat readiness to fight insecurity due to allegations of impropriety ravaging Police Equipment Foundation, PEF. The Foundation if not for this distraction could have been the stop gap needed to rescue the Police from government’s failure to fortify it so as to ensure better policing in the country.
The Foundation established during ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration is accused of alleged squandering of N50 billion. It was accused of allegedly donating money and vehicles meant for Police to bodies like Yar’Adua Campaign Organisation, State Security Service, SSS, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
It might be difficult to argue that these were ultra vires its power if the Foundation’s object with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, says it could act in such manner since there is no law specifying the definite use to which its money should be put to.
This is a lacuna which underscores the high handed way important matters of state were treated during the last administration.
From the name of the Foundation which is Police Equipment Foundation, it should have morally given priority to meeting the equipment needs of the Police before embarking on a jamboree whose purport could be to curry favour of the beneficiary organisations.
Mike Okiro, Inspector- General of Police’s was only protecting the Force’s interest when he confiscated the remaining over 200 vehicles bought by the Foundation before they are used for charity purposes by PEF.
The sorry state of things in the Police shows that PEF has not been effective in its assigned role. Dearth of equipment remains one of the greatest bane to Police performance.
Dr. Yaro Gela, Executive Director of the PEF observed about 70 and 100 policemen were lost monthly in armed robbery combat operations.
A sizeable number of these figures occurred in attacks on bullion vans conveying cash from one destination to another. Police needs bullion vans, communication gadgets, armoured carriers, vehicles, arms and ammunition to be able to effectively carry out its constitutional duties of maintaining peace and security in the society. The Police Force cannot do this because these necessary tools are in serious short fall.
The PEF scandal should be given the desired consideration by the appropriate authority. The episode represents a sad tale with negative implication not only on the Foundation and its members but the nation.
If the state shirks its responsibility to cater for the Police, more of this kind of Foundation might spring up in future but we urge that there should be a legal frame work so that those involved could be asked questions when the need arises.
