15th August, 2012
Oluokun Ayorinde/Abuja
Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (retd) the Minister of Police Affairs on Wednesday told journalists that the Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG Parry Osayande (retd) Presidential Committee on Re-orgnisation of the Police went outside its terms of reference with its recommendation that the Ministry of Police Affairs should be scrapped.
Olubolade who spoke to journalists after the meeting of Federal Executive Council was reacting to the recommendations of the Osayande Committee that the Ministry of Police Affairs should be scrapped with claims that its establishment was unconstitutional in the report submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council.
The Osayande Committee had also described the management of budget, award of contracts, including running of training programmes by the Ministry on behalf of the Police by the Ministry as unjustifiable. It therefore recommended that the Inspector General of Police should be allowed to manage budgetary allocations to the law enforcement agency.
Olubolade told journalists that the Osayande Committee should not be confused with another committee set up by the Federal Government to rationalize ministries, departments and agencies of government. “Usually, when an assignment is given, one must look at the subject-the subject is to re-organise the Police Force. So, anything being discussed outside that can be said to be in vain”, noted the Minister.
He also told journalists that contrary to the assertion by the Osayande Committee, the Police is involved in the management of its budget. “The Police on their own award contracts, except for capital projects while the Ministry approves payment. All operational provision are managed by the Police.
He also stated that just like the Police, there is the Ministry of Defence which takes care of the Army, Navy and Air Force budgetary matters.
He however said President Jonathan had set up a committee comprising of himself, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to come up with a white paper on the recommendations of the Osayande Committee within three weeks.
“The issue of the scrapping of the Ministry will be looked at if it is in the report or not. Let’s wait for the report of the Committee set up by government”, said the Minister.