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Government at all levels must support police veterans – Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated the need to
assist and support Police veterans at all levels of government, including
well-meaning members of the society.
He stated this during the launch of the Nigeria Police Force
Veterans Foundation at the Corporate Headquarters, Police Service Commission,
Abuja.
In his speech read by the Minister of State Police Affairs,
Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the President pointed out that one of the
responsibilities of government and individuals in society is supporting and
sustaining the Police Veterans’ Foundation for the attainment of its
objectives.
In his words, “ As the President of our dear country, I will
not only give my full support to the Veterans Foundation but will also ensure
that such areas like improving the pension and severance package of retired
Police Officers are immediately reviewed to reflect the enormity of their
contributions and commitment to our country.
“Also, administrative processes towards issuance of an
Executive Order will be immediately initiated to set aside a day, perhaps, 5th
March (being today, the launch of the Veterans’ Foundation) or 1st April (being
the date that the hitherto existing police forces of Northern and Southern
provinces were amalgamated to form a unified Nigeria Police Force), as National
Police and Veterans’ Day in Nigeria.
“We must reflect on the cost of peace and security in
Nigeria, to enable us to fully appreciate and thank our Police veterans, for
placing the nation’s security before their own lives. Their courage,
sacrifices, and commitment to peace and security undoubtedly create a huge debt
that Nigeria cannot commensurately be repaid to them.
He added that the Nigeria Police Force is a critical symbol
of State legitimacy and the lead agency in Nigeria’s internal security
architecture.
Tinubu charged Nigerians not to lose faith in the Government
over the hard times and reiterated the concrete efforts and measures that are
already underway to tackle and contain threats and issues of insecurity in
Nigeria.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission
(PSC), Dr Solomon Arase said the launch of the Police Veterans’ Foundation will
always be chronicled as a great milestone for the members of the Nigeria Police
Force, both serving and retired.
In his words, “Perhaps, a historical background to the
conceptualization of the Nigeria Police Veterans’ Foundation will help us
situate where we are coming from to enable us fully appreciate its import and
timeliness to retired Police officers.
“I believe that the experience of retired Police officers
which spans through different decades would be of invaluable assistance in
evolving policies that will help in repositioning the Nigeria Police for
optimal functionality in delivering on its mandate.”
