Ministry of Police Affairs has described as grossly inadequate the proposed N871 billion naira as the ministry’s 2023 budget estimates and its Agencies.
The Minister Alh Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, made the clarification during a joint budget defence held by the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Police, Affairs co-chaired by Senator Halliru Jika and Alh Bello Kumo.
Alh Maigari Dingyadi, explained that despite outcry over the ministry’s budgetary allocation in the 2022 Appropriation Act, there was no significant improvement in the 2023 budget estimates presented by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
The minister noted that the sums of N805 billion naira was allocated to the Nigeria Police Force, N57 billion for the Police Trust Fund while a paltry sum of N3 billion was proposed for the main Ministry and N5 billion to the Police Academy Wudil.
Narrating the difficulties police are facing in protecting lives and property across the country, the minister appealed to the joint Committees to make an upward review of the budgetary allocation for the Ministry to enable it carry out its statutory functions effectively.
On the 2022 budget performance, the Minister said of the N1.7 billion naira released for capital expenditure, the funds have been fully utilized on critical programmes while procurement processes for capital projects are still ongoing.
In their separate remarks, Senator Jika and Alh Bello Kumo who commended the Minister on his efforts to achieve the Ministry’s mandate, and resolved to end the budget defence in an executive session for security reasons.
COV /TSIBIRI
