From Funmi Peter-Omale and Oke Epia in Abuja, 06.28.2006

Ehindero stated this at a national workshop on Strengthening Police Internal Complaints Systems in Nigeria, held in Abuja.
Represented by Assistant Inspector General of Police, Sir Kieran Dudari, at the workshop jointly organised by the Police Performance Monitoring Unit (PPMU), Ministry of Police Affairs, CLEEN Foundation and MacArthur Foundation, the IG acknowledged that there was unbearable indiscipline in the rank and file, stressing that he needed to be empowered constitutionally to deal effectively with the problem.

He said: I need more powers to discipline erring and indiscipline constables and DSPs (Deputy Superintendent of Police) in the Nigeria Police because the rank and file appears to be the most indiscipline in the Police.・BR>In the last few months, the IG had lamented the presence of those he called 田riminals and armed robbers・in the Nigeria Police Force.

He had consistently maintained that those recruited into the Force between 2000 and 2005 were not properly screened, suggesting that some of them were involved in the spate of armed robberies across the country.

Ehindero, since the beginning of the year, had personally paraded no fewer than 15 policemen suspected to be involved in armed robberies and pipeline vandalism. In addition, the IGP's directive that indiscriminate roadblocks across the nation be dismantled and replaced with approved Highway roadblocks had been met with stiff resistance.

The reasons for this, he said, were not far fetched. Alluding to the gross indiscipline that has pervaded the Nigeria Police in the last two decades, the IG regretted that poor working conditions and lack of necessary equipments for modern day policing had contributed largely to the rot in the Force.

He, however, said with the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Police Reform (PCPR) to the President, revolutionary changes were expected.

According to him, the government had already recognised the need for the police to be reformed hence the sweeping changes aimed at better service delivery, efficient, effective and accountable response to security needs as well as improved conditions of service for men and officers.

Ehindero stated: very soon, policemen would have cause to smile and not to complain anymore about their conditions of service and lack of working materials.

With the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Police Reform, a lot of changes would take place as government begins to implement these recommendations.・Executive Director. CLEEN Foundation, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, in a welcome address said: Without an effective and transparent internal complaints and disciplinary process, pubic trust and confidence in the Police will be low.

Over the past two decades, the effectiveness of Police complaints process in Nigeria has been a central feature of debates of accountability and integrity of the Police service.・BR>The police boss added: 泥iscipline is accorded less priority in the Nigeria Police Force because of prebendal politics. Leadership by example is key to addressing it.

Complaints and Disciplinary mechanisms like other departments in the Police have no budgets or allocation for carrying out their important functions and disciplinary mechanisms are reactive instead of proactive in tracking officer misconducts.・BR>Country Director, MacArthur Foundation, Mr. Godwin Odo noted that public confidence in the police is one of the greatest assets of any police force. Tne way of building this confidence is by putting in place a Police Internal Complaints system that is accessible, functional and results-oriented.

Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has disowned purported on-going recruitment into the cadet Assistant Superinte-ndent of Police (ASP) cadre of the Nigeria Police Force, saying a circular to that effect did not emanate from it. A statement from the commission signed by Mr. Anietie Etiebet, its chief information officer, said Nigerians seeking to join the police should discountenance the circular because it is fraudulent.

The Commission at its 41st ordinary meeting in Abuja Tuesday said the on-going recruitment was without its authority and knowledge,・said the release, adding: The circular purported to have been issued by it and already in circulation was fictitious and fraudulent.

The circular, titled police service commission: application for appointment into the Nigeria police force (cadet assistant superintendent of police) has invited prospective applicants for cadet ASP, to complete in duplicate, forms for employment and return same to the Chairman of the commission.

The commission at its meeting said the circular did not originate from its office adding that it was yet to commence the appointment exercise in the cadre of cadet ASPs. For the avoidance of doubt, the commission reiterated that it is the only body constitutionally empowered to appoint persons into the Nigerian police force. Any other person, body or authority engaging in this exercise will be doing so illegally and unconstitutionally.