Group Faults Police Budget Process

LAGOS OCTOBER 19TH (NEWSRANGERS)-A Non Governmental Organization, NGO, Network of Police Reform in Nigeria, NOPRIN, has faulted the budget process of the Nigeria Police, noting that it was one of the lapses that have resulted in the poor funding of the force over the years.
IGP Ibrahim Idris in a bid to find a solution to the poor financial state of the force suggested and presented a Bill to the Senate, Nigeria’s upper legislative house. Tagged Police Trust Fund Bill is to allow for partnership with the private sector and allow the police explore other avenues for raising funds for the force.
In a nationwide research conducted across all levels of the force, NOPRIN noted that the police budgeting process is wrapped in secrecy, allowing room for little or no inputs from the zonal commands, state commands and even the area commands or divisional levels as to reflect the peculiar needs of each of these commands or levels of policing.
Most of the serving and retired police officers interviewed on the budget process in the police, refused comments; insisting that it was a very sensitive matter that only the IGP and the minister of the supervising ministry, in this case the Minister of Interior that determines the budget of the force, through a process that is secret.
According to a report of the research made available to the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, CRAN, the NGO said that ‘the interviewees were unanimous in their belief that the NPF budget process is not fit for purpose.’ It went on, ‘They (respondents) were also unanimous that even if the police budget was released in full, other than salaries, federal government funding represents a contribution towards cost, rather than an attempt to fund the NPF.’
NOPRIN revealed that, ‘every successive IGP blames poor service delivery and negative public perception on lack of adequate funding.’ It noted that, ‘the federal government has perennially failed to adequately fund police operations. Consequently, the NPF relies mainly on state governments for funding and to a lesser extent, local governments and corporate entities. State governments provide operational vehicles, equipment and logistics support.’
In this year’s budget scrutiny by the senate, Bukola Saraki, the senate president had lamented that, ‘the force was the most underfunded force in the world and among the most underfunded agencies in the Nigeria.’ All the respondents, according to the report, noted that ‘other than salaries, the force budget represents a contribution to cost rather than a attempt to fund the force.’ The police was poorly funded.
The report regrets that, ‘there is no coherent budget process. Rather than being based on operational needs, the budget is prepared using broad budget headings, with budgets based on increments of the previous year’ adding, ‘as budgets are both inadequate and never released in full, all MDAs are incentivized to inflate budget request by line and in total.’
In furtherance, the report added the following comments, ‘the budget process is a charade; they (the police) has no money to run their activities; they (the police) run to us for basic and simplest expenditure and mostly we oblige them and the whole budget process is dysfunctional.’
The report laments that, ‘the police are totally reliant on non FGN funding; as majority of the operational equipment (e.g. APCs, vehicles, body armour, communications equipment and boats) is supplied by state governments and the private sector.’
It further observed that, ‘state governors feel compelled to fund the police as there is no alternative if security is to be maintained. Contributions from state governments are believed to be sourced from the state security vote, which reportedly is not subject to scrutiny,’ lamenting that, ‘final budget requests are determined by the supervising ministry, currently the Ministry of Interior.’ Lagos state government has a Security Trust Fund in place to cater for the logistics, operational and other needs of all security agencies in the state.
However, it was highlighted in the report, ‘budget requests are prepared by the NPF budget at force headquarters, acting under the instruction of the IGP. It is the IG who decides, depending on his vision and needs at the time.’
Police financial liabilities are rendered by payments not released and this has particularly affected capital projects. Added to the fact that there is no centralized record of outstanding liabilities, by the police. Expectedly, some outstanding liabilities are in excess of 10years, added the report.
Planning is difficult, particularly as the force does not have verifiable staff strength; even as IG Idris is said to be making efforts at addressing the disturbing issue which also is affecting effective police budgeting. Another factor negatively affecting the force budgeting is until recently when Idris came in, ‘no provision is made in the budget for events such as civil disturbances, investigations or kidnapping. Instead, budget lines refer only to support functions such as repairs, fuel, travel, training, vehicles and equipment. Emergency funding is usually provided by state government.’
Lamenting that, ‘policies are not backed with funds for implementation; police officers are diverted to performing escort duties, personal protection services, protection at funerals, and guarding banks, oil installations, supermarkets and other private locations.’
The report observed that, ‘nor is there a determination of the cost of running a police station or minimum equipment needs such as vehicles, handcuffs or equipment per officer,’ noting that there are many abandoned capital projects across the country by the police due to late release of funds or inadequate funding.
In one of the conclusions, the report noted that, ‘it is common for there to be no funds to purchase vehicle fuel. While no inventory is maintained, one interviewee suggested there are around 3,700 vehicles. The 2017 budget for vehicle fuel (per Appropriation Act) amounted to N1,238.9million; at the official price of N145 per litre, the budget equates 6.3 litres per vehicle per day – but only if the budget in full.
The 2018 proposed fuel budget of N586.4 million equates to 3.0 litres of fuel per vehicle per day – if paid in full. In practice, the police depend on ‘good Samaritans’ and charging citizens.’
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