Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has advocated better welfare package for the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force to motivate them for quality service delivery.
The Governor made the call on Thursday when he received executive members of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Speaking while receiving the team, Dr. Fayemi who spoke through the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, said the welfare of officers and men of the Nigeria Police should be accorded priority because of their importance in maintaining security of lives and property.
He identified areas that the Police need motivation to include better salary and allowances, training, housing scheme, insurance and state-of-the-art equipment to tackle insecurity and all forms of crimes and criminality across the length and breadth of the country.
The Police Trustees Fund Board of Trustees delegation which was led by a member of the board, Dr. Mike Adebiyi, was accompanied on the visit by the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Ekiti State Command, Mr. Morohunkeji Adesina and Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Brig.-Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana.
Responding to the request of the leader of the delegation for the support of the state governments and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) for the Police personnel, Dr. Fayemi said efforts should be made by stakeholders in the Nigerian federation to support the Police to perform their statutory and constitutional duties.
He said: “We appreciate the laudable roles of the Police Trust Fund and we will support it in giving welfare to the personnel. We are going to look into you demands because we recognize the importance of the Police.”
The Governor assured that his administration would continue to support the state police command within the limited resources available to the state government.
Dr. Fayemi commended the Police for displaying high level of professionalism and efficiency during the last governorship election held in the state which was conducted under a peaceful atmosphere.
The Governor charged corporate organisations to support the Police Trust Fund to deliver on its mandate to assist the Police in the areas of better welfare, training and retooling.
Speaking earlier, leader of the.delegation and member, Board of Trustees, Police Trust Fund, Dr. Adebiyi, commended the Ekiti State Government for its moral, financial and logistics support to the Police.
Dr. Adebiyi disclosed that the Police Trust Fund was established by President Muhammadu Buhari, to mobilise funds in order to improve the funding of the Police in view of the fact that the security force was underfunded.
The Police Trust Fund chief noted that the Board deemed it fit to go to the field to see the challenges being faced by the personnel and to explore ways to ameliorate the situation.
He used the opportunity to express the gratitude of the Police to the Fayemi Administration for the support enjoyed in Ekiti while also describing the security situation in the state as commendable.
Dr. Adebiyi urged Governor Fayemi to use his position as the NGF Chairman to assist the Police Trust Fund to access its funds held up by legal issues to assist the Force to achieve its mandate.