IGP Alkali and the push for police public private partnership- Bala Ibrahim

According to the Wikipedia, Public–Private Partnership (PPP), is an arrangement between two or more public and private sectors of a long-term nature. Typically, it involves private capital financing government projects and services up-front, and then drawing profits from taxpayers and/or users over the course of the PPP contract. Public-private partnerships have been implemented in multiple countries and are primarily used for infrastructure projects. They have been used for building, equipping, operating and maintaining schools, hospitals, transport systems, and water and sewerage systems.

In his wisdom, and pursuant to his vision for a better Nigeria police, IGP Alkali Usman Baba, has expressed readiness of the Nigeria Police to go along with the Federal Government’s infrastructure master plan, through the collective embracement of the principle of Public Private Partnership.

IGP Alkali Baba said so today, at the meeting of the 4th Quarter Public Private

Partnership Units Consultative Forum, held at the Police Officers Mess, Abuja, where the Police had an interface, and the opportunity for the sharing of information and experience with all the PPP Units from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government.

In his welcome remarks at the meeting that had a very appreciable attendance, IGP Alkali, who was ably represented by Zanna Mohammed Ibrahim, mni, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Logistics & Supply, commended the efforts and commitments exhibited by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (FMFBN&P), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), and all Federal MDAs, PPP Units/Departments, in sustaining the forum from 2016 till date.

Believing that businesses will thrive better, and Nigeria’s shrinking revenue base will be revived and boosted through active private sector participation, IGP Alkali said, “We are all aware that Nigeria’s quest for a competitive and dynamic economy hinges on a solid infrastructure base in an environment that promotes private sector participation. The Federal Government’s infrastructure master plan recognizes the wide gap that exists in infrastructural development, hence requires active private sector participation, if there must be any meaningful achievement”.

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Since coming to office as the 21st indigenous Inspector General of Police, IGP Alkali has been expressing concern about the plight of the police personnel in Nigeria, particularly the worrisome situation many are facing, which makes them work and retire without having a home to spend the rest of their lives. It is an open secret, that the police presently lack descent accommodation for its officers and men, as is visibly evident in the condition of most Police barracks.

This is why IGP Alkali is keen on partnering with the Private sector, in order to launch an ambitious housing scheme that would particularly ameliorate the housing challenges facing the rank and file of the police across the country. He said, “Housing is considered a fundamental physiological human need and the foundation upon which to develop higher human motivation. Unfortunately, The Nigeria Police is facing gross housing deficit. It will surprise you to note that with a workforce of over 350,000 in staff strength, the NPF has less than 10% of its personnel quartered in befitting barracks accommodation.

The state of disrepair and integrity failure in our barracks needs no emphasis. We are really in dare need of more befitting accommodation to enable us tackle with the art and act of policing the nation optimally. A good living condition to say the least, is sine qua non for optimal service delivery. Suffice to add that there is an ongoing initiative to recruit 10,000 constables for the next 6 years annually, thereby increasing the housing needs for Police officers and men. Taking into account the paucity of funds from Federal Appropriation, the Police is constrained to engage the private sector towards filling the gap. These efforts are on-going as a lot of proponents are coming up with proposals”.

As the representative of the IGP, and one that was once the commandant at the Police Academy, Wudil, DIG Zanna does not take the issue of police training with levity. Perhaps this is why he harped with emphasis on where the IGP said, “The need for training and re-training to acquaint personnel with the rudiment of PPP cannot be over-emphasized. The Police PPP Unit was inaugurated in January 2020, and so far, had received some basic training sessions from ICRC, including an overview on the preparation of Outline  Business Case (OBC), Full Business Case (FBC) and Financial Modeling”.

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While acknowledging that the statutory responsibilities of the Police are passionately being sustained by the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Usman Baba, all the same, DIG Zanna appealed to the Private sector to partner more with the police, in order to explore more opportunities, saying, “It will interest you to note that recently, FEC approved the Police Specialized Services Automated Programme (POSSAP) by issuing us an FBC Certificate of Compliance for takeoff, Senior Officers Quarters at Maitama to accommodate the high echelon of the force is at the Procurement phase of PPP, and other PPP projects are undergoing the statutory requirements by ICRC for full compliance

Public-Private partnership

Public-Private partnership