Uduaghan: Govs approved 1% excess crude fund for police

The 36 state governors all endorsed the payment of one per cent of excess crude fund for use by the Nigerian Police, Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said.

Uduaghan said the decision was informed by the importance they attached to peace  and security as critical element in national development.

The governor who spoke at the weekend, in Asaba, when he received the visiting Inspector General of Police(IGP), Mr Mohammed Abubakar, pointed out that particularly that security needs to be provided for governments at various tiers to be able to achieve infrastructural development.

He said the governors saw the need for the police to update its equipment and manpower to world standard  as well as meet the current security challenges facing the country.

He commended the IGP who was in the state, to present his stewardship to Nigerians, for effectively tackling the various security challenges as well as for the synergy among the various security agencies in the country.

' Such cooperation should be extended to the state and local government levels, so as to reduce the crime level to the barest minimum,' he said.

Uduaghan commended the efforts of security agencies in grappling with the security challenges in Delta State, including kidnapping, piracy, armed robbery and crude oil theft, have drastically reduced because of the efforts of the security agencies in the state.

The IGP, Mr Abubakar, had earlier in his remarks thanked the state for its support and partnership with the Police Force, in ensuring a peaceful, secure and safer environment.

'If all state governors are like Dr Uduaghan in supporting the police, the country will be more secured and safer than it is today,' he said.

he commended  the cooperation of community vigilante groups with security agencies, in ensuring that the state was made safer and peaceful for Deltans.

Abubakar explained that he was in the state for the presentation of his scorecard to Nigerians, stating that  ' we believe we should have time to look at where we are and strategise to meet tomorrow's security challenges.'

He expressed his gratitude to the federal government and the 36 states government,  for approving the payment of one per cent of the excess crude account, to meet the infrastructural and security needs of the police.