The Minister of Police Affairs, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday in Abuja, inaugurated the governing board of the Nigeria Police Academy (POLAC), Wudil, Kano State.
Dingyadi said the inauguration had further reaffirmed President Buhari’s commitment to bequeath a reformed, professionalised, highly motivated and knowledge-based police force with a view to institutionalising proactive policing in Nigeria.
He said the approval of the governing board sought to fully operationalise the provisions of the Police Academy (Establishment) Act 2021, earlier signed into law by president on April,7 2022.
The minister said the ministry had the statutory responsibility of exercising control and supervision of the policy, finances and property of the academy.
The board, according to him also has power to appoint professors and other principal academic and administrative staff of the academy who are not police officers.
He said that the board also stipulates terms of conditions of their appointment; determine their remuneration and scope of responsibilities.
“Promote and discipline staff of the academy that are not police officers on the advice of the appropriate committees; consider and approve the academy’s annual budget or estimates, external auditor’s report and any variation therein.
“Approve recommendations for the appointment of emeritus professors; appoint bankers, auditors or any other agents for the academy and approve the status of the academy as may be required under this act.
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“Approve the creation of any offices, department or committee as may be considered necessary or expedient for the smooth running of the academy,” he said.
Dingyadi said that the appointment of the members was based on merit and their commendable track records.
He urged them to bring to bear their wealth of experience and ingenuity, in the realisation of statutory responsibility of re-engineering a world standard policing system in Nigeria.
Responding on behalf of the board members, Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Usman Baba, pledged commitment of the board to transform POLAC to a center of excellence.
Baba said the academy had since its establishment, grown from strength to strength and would continue to produce fine police officers in various fields of studies.
“We are proud of this academy which is one of its kinds in the world and we believe it will be one university that no parent would want to miss for his child to be.
“It is a university where nobody asks you for tuition, nobody ask you for accommodation, nobody asks you for school fees.
“After graduation you also have work and also have an area of specialisation base based on what you read.
“I think it is a privilege that is given to Nigerians by the government and we will try to make sure that whatever it entails we will do,” he said. (NAN)