Police recruitment: Minister calls for active involvement of council chairmen, traditional rulers

By ADEMOLA ADEGBITE, Abuja

FOLLOWING the directives by the Federal Government for the engagement of Special Constabularies for Community Policing nationwide, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Mohammad Musa Bello has called for a functional and equitable distribution of the volunteers across the FCT based on the needs of the communities.

Malam Bello made this known, on Sunday, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Anthony Ogunleye.

He also called for the active involvement of the Area Council Chairmen and Traditional rulers in the recruitment and deployment processes.

The minister, according to the statement, who spoke during the submission of the modalities for implementation of the programme by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr Bala Ciroma, at the FCT Security Committee Meeting in Abuja, thanked the heads of the various security formations in the territory for their support in maintaining security.

He said: “I want to acknowledge the full support we have enjoyed from your men and women in the field, either in respect of our various task forces that were established as well as your fight against crime and criminality and your overall support in all aspects of our work whenever we call you to service.”

Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ciroma, said the main functions of the Community Constabularies are crime detection and prevention, settlement of low-level civil disputes and petty crimes, criminal intelligence gathering and dissemination to the local police commanders, dealing with minor offences and social vices, assist in traffic management and school safety duties amongst others.

According to him, the Community Constabularies are also to operate only within the communities in which they are recruited and are not permitted to operate outside of these locations, adding that the Police Force will train the volunteers and provide them with uniforms and means of identification.

The meeting had in attendance, the Minister of State, FCT, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, the Executive Secretary, FCDA, Engineer Umar Gambo Jibrin as well as the Chief of Staff to the Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu.

Others were the heads of the various security formations in the FCT, Area Council Chairmen, traditional and religious leaders as well as senior management staff of the FCT.

The minister, however, used the occasion to welcome the new Commander of the Army Headquarters Garrison, Major General A. T. Hamman, who took over from Major General J.G. K Myam, who has since been re-deployed. (Sunday Tribune)