By Shafa’atu Muhammad Kabir
One of the critical Ministries of the Federal Government is the re-established Ministry of Police Affairs out of the former Ministry of Interior as part of its cardinal objective of strengthening the security architecture.
The Ministry of Police Affairs is unique when compared to other Ministries on the basis of its statutory mandate as enshrined in section 5, 147 and 148 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Ministry is to, among other initiates, formulate and implement policies and programs relating to policing and internal security as well as to provide supervision and administrative support to the Nigeria Police Force and other arms under it such as the Police Academy (POLAC) and the newly established Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF).
The Ministry also provides political will and administrative support for the Nigerian Police Force to operate as an efficient, well motivated, well-equipped and people friendly police.
In the present administration’s renewed determination to pursue conscientious policy to tackle the security challenges facing the country through boosting the funding of the Nigeria Police Force, the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed two prominent Nigerians to handle the Nigeria Police Affairs Ministry.
For the first time since establishment in 2017, a female politician of repute, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim was assigned the Minister of State.
The Ministry of Police Affairs has been set up to create a secured environment for everyone living in Nigeria and to make Nigeria safer and more secure for economic development and growth.
Known for her doggedness and agility, HAJIYA Imaan has since assumption of duties as a Minister in the Police Affairs Ministry shown even greater commitment to help in making policing as envisaged a more responsive tool for development.
According to the Minister in the maiden meeting with the Police top hierarchy in Abuja, government under President Tinubu will train and re-train Police Personnel for effectiveness and responsiveness to sharpen their skills on Policing in line with global standards and practices and to build a well-equipped and motivated Nigeria Police Force.
The Minister of State, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim stated that the presentation of the Inspector General of Police was holistic and forward-looking which will be very helpful as the Ministry crafts a way forward towards achieving renewed hope policing agenda of the President which is very ambitious.
She added that as Ministers, they will work together as partners in progress to achieve it.
On community policing, she pointed out that it aligns with the thought of the Ministers which is critical and everyone must key in with it to enable increased confidence of the citizens in policing as government is working for them.
This HAJIYA Imaan said requires a lot of reforms and cooperation of all the stakeholders. “Intelligence-driven policing is not negotiable” she added and the police force must be seen as a technology-driven organization that requires ambitious investment to implement. Hajiya Imaan is not new to handlindling challenging tasks as she exceled in numerous public service positions in the past.
The astute politician is the former director-general of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim was born in Plateau State, however, she spent most of her childhood in Abuja. She attended Aruwa Nursery School, Abuja and Jabi Primary School, (now LEA Primary School, Jabi), for her nursery and primary school education.
She had two masters’ degrees at the age of 21: At the young age of 19, she graduated from the University of Abuja with a degree in Sociology. She bagged two masters’ degrees from Webster University, St Louis, Missouri (London Campus) an MBA and MA. Hajiya Imaan did her National Youth Service at NNPC in the Kaduna Zonal Office.
Kabir writes from Abuja
