Nigeria Needs Well Trained, Equipped Police – Gov. Ganduje

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje has stressed the need for a vibrant, trained and equipped Police in the country to guarantee security and peace for accelerated national development.

The governor, who stated this today (Wednesday) during the Governors’ Forum session at the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Lagos said states like Kano were already funding and equipping the Police, which he said lack capacity and adequate personnel to provide the required security across the country.

Governor Ganduje explained said states like Kano were already funding and equipping the Police, which he said lack capacity and adequate personnel to provide the required security across the country.

Ganduje said most states pay policemen allowances, besides providing them with other logistic support, explaining devolution of powers at the center, would mean increasing states’ capacity to fund their police.

“We are still equipping the police, even paying their allowances in some cases. The budget that is supposed to be given to the police should be given to the states,” he said.

On what it takes to build strong institutions, the governor maintained that it required a strong template for recruitment, capacity development through training and setting clear-cut goals.

According to him, “You don’t need strong men; you need strong institutions. Strong institutions are indispensable to socio-economic development. Strong institutions surpass those who created them. Our institutions need to have clear-cut goals and objectives. There must be free flow of information, transparency and accountability.

“There must be a template for reward and punishment. The institutions must be insulated from political interference,” the Kano State governor asserted.

Meanwhile, at a showcase session on investment opportunities in Kano, which is part of the conference, Governor Ganduje expressed readiness of his administration to grant land and tax incentives to local and foreign investors, wishing to come to the state.

According to the governor, “We have decided to make land acquisition very easy and speedy. A lot of red-tapism and a lot of bureaucracies and we decided to replace that ministry with the Bureau for Land Management’’.

“Kano State presently enjoys very peaceful atmosphere that would encourage any serious local and foreign investor to come to the state and derive the benefits of the efforts made so far by the government in the area of security” he added.