FG grants police self-accounting status
The Federal Government has granted the Nigeria Police Force self-accounting status which takes it out of the financial control of the Ministry of Police Affairs.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, who announced this in Abuja on Friday during a workshop for police finance officers, called for increased professionalism, transparency and prompt payment of salaries and emoluments of Police personnel.
He described the approval as a watershed coming after more than eight decades since the Nigeria Police Force was established as a single and centralised national Police Force in 1930.
Abubakar stated that, as a step towards building the necessary infrastructure for a smooth operation of the new status, the force would take necessary steps towards ensuring that the Finance and Account units at all levels of the force, are staffed with officers with requisite accounting and professional knowledge.
The officers, he added, would work with tested civilian finance officers in order to promote professionalism and guarantee effective service delivery.
While calling on the finance officers to strictly adhere to financial regulations and other extant circulars, the Mohammed warned that appropriate sanctions await any officer who compromises his office.
“Your performance will be evaluated regularly and any officer who compromises his office will be sanctioned,” Abubakar stated.
He expressed appreciation to the accountant-general of the federation for his role in formalising the new status and for the speedy deployment of two directors in charge of finance and accounts and audit to assist the Police in ensuring a seamless take off of the new status. (Punch)
