Rakiya A.Muhammad
Minister of Police Affairs, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, echoed this during a sensitisation campaign on the Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC) activities for the South-South zone held in Calabar, Cross Rivers state.
He assured of advancing technology-led policing in line with global best practices and deepening community policing and human intelligence in Nigeria.
The Minister spoke on the newly revitalised Police Public Complaints Committee, which he noted to eliminate all forms of subjective narrative hitherto hindered cooperation between police and citizens.
“Following the directive of Mr President, I inaugurated the resuscitated Police Public Complaints Committee in Abuja on 7th April 2021, to, among others, bridge the gap between the police and the populace to elicit sustainable confidence and mutual cooperation,” he stated.
“We are here today to sensitise the public on the Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC), being an initiative taken by the Federal Government to enlighten the public on measures to enhance Police-Public Relations in Nigeria.”
He explained that the Public Complaints Commission deals with complaints against administrative injustices by public institutions, adding that the overriding aim was to serve as a platform with oversight on the activities of Police Personnel through their interactions with the public.
“The far-reaching benefits of deepening the realisation of a people-centric and collective security paradigm, through the reformation of our policing architecture, and creation of an additional layer for citizens to seek redress, necessitated the resuscitation of Police Public Complaint Committee, in the year 2019,” he said.
Dingyadi underscored the need for citizen support to fight crime and criminalities collectively.
The representative of the Inspector General of Police, AIG in charge of Zone 6, Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Kamorudeen Okunlola, identified the need for synergy to bridge the gap between police and citizens.
“People need to be educated on the importance of cooperation, and the sensitisation campaign by the Ministry will assist us to understand
that we need each other,” he pointed out.
“PPCC is very important to the Police ecosystem, and IGP resolved to bring the police closer to the people.”
Deputy Chair, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Cross River Chapter, Engineer Joel Henshaw, observed the initiative would change the narrative of infringement of the rights of the youths and serve as a medium for appraisal of the activities of the police officers in the field.
The Secretary, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Cross River State, Rev. (Dr) Emmanuel Orok Duke, described security as a concern for all.
He added: “CAN has an important role to play and is very concerned about Human Rights.”
Duke expressed the association’s readiness to partner with the government to ensure citizens live in peace in the country.
