Press Release: DIVERSION OF N5b POLICE FUND: SETTLEMENTOCRACY CONTINUUM
28th January 2008
The Presidential Committee on Police Equipment Fund (PCPEF) reportedly wasted over N5b fund collected as donations from state and local governments, banks, oil companies, corporate organisations and government parastatals. But instead of spending the money judiciously on police helicopters, armoured vehicles, armaments, renovation of police barracks and training for community policing, the committee diverted the billions of naira collected to lavish car gifts to even unrelated individuals.
We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) denounce this culture of waste in the strongest terms possible. It is prodigal, irresponsible and most unpatriotic. It is a betrayal of public trust coming from the most unexpected source. It is a product of unscrupulous minds bent on the continuation of the satanic culture of settlementocracy. This is an action capable of discouraging the public from donating to such committees in future. Nonetheless, after taking a critical look at the revelations made during the weekend, MURIC has come to the conclusion that some of the actors deserve kudos while others deserve heavy knocks.
Those who deserve our commendations include Sunday Ehindero, former Inspector General of Police, who rejected 250 BMW luxury cars presented to the police on the ground that they were most irrelevant to police operations. General Badamosi Babangida and ex-President Obasanjo also deserve our applause for rejecting bullet proof cars sent to them. Car gifts to some security agencies may be overlooked in view of the fact that they are relevant to crime fighting but those given to the National Assembly committees on police affairs which received 25 luxury cars must be seen as superfluous. MURIC calls on the National Assembly Committees to return the car gifts immediately.
We are scandalised that the Sultan’s name has crept into this mess. The traditional ruler was reported to have been one of the beneficiaries of the car gifts. He allegedly received two cars. Na lie! It had better not be. We demand an explanation from the Sultan. Is it true? The Sultan knows the implications as a Muslim ruler. MURIC therefore requests the Sultan to speak up on this matter which is capable of embarrassing all Nigerian Muslims. Receiving the product of diverted public fund can be seriously incriminating.
Finally, we are constrained to assert that PCPEF has disappointed Nigerians. It has proved beyond reasonable doubt that it is a committee of capitalist comprador bourgeoisies. Though set up to improve the poor conditions of the police materially, mentally and morally, it lost focus and merely succeeded in making the rich richer and the poor poorer. MURIC holds this committee responsible for the massacre of policemen by armed robbers in recent times. The blood of the police victims is on their heads. We call on President Yar’adua to dissolve PCPEF without delay. We also demand a comprehensive probe of the committee.
Dr. Is-haq Akintola
DIRECTOR
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