By Henry Okonkwo
A civil rights organisation, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, has rolled out plans to ensure a better Nigeria police structure.
According to the RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, the Police Reform Project, which is supported by the MacArthur Foundation, aims to promote police accountability through reforms.
Nwanguma said that one of the activities being implemented by RULAAC is the establishment of a Civil Society Organisations Observatory Group on the implementation of the Police Act, 2020 and the Police Trust Fund (PTF) Act, 2019.
He said that RULAAC and the consortium members will inaugurate a CSO-PTF Support and Oversight Group that will act as a catalyst to spur the Police Trust Fund to deliver on its mandate.
Also, Nwanguma disclosed that the group will carry out awareness to sensitise the public across the geo-political zones on the existence of the Police Trust Fund and its mandate. And would hold zonal and national bi-monthly meetings on the performance assessment of the Police Trust Fund across the country.
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Unveiling how they would work, Nwanguma hinted that RULAAC will identify credible and reliable CSOs that work around police and policing issues from the 6 geopolitical zones. And these groups would serve as in-road to the zones RULAAC would ride on their networks for the implementation of activities.
He added, “we’ll organise an inception meeting with the identified CSOs to introduce the project objectives/intimate them on their roles.
“RULAAC would also conduct capacity building for the CSOs on the Police Act and the Police Trust Fund Act to help them understand what they entail. It should not be assumed that everyone understands the Acts and what they are meant to do. If they understand it then they would be better placed to mobilise, sensitise, speak about them and monitor them
“We are currently shortlisting credible and reliable CSOs to invite to join the CSO Observatory on the Implementation of the Police Act 2020 and the Police Trust Fund Act 2019.”
