The chairman of the House of Representatives committee on Police Affairs, Usman Kumo, has describedpresident Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to the Police College in Lagos as “meaningless”.
He said the unscheduled visit only served to suggest that the president is unaware of the dilapidated state of police formations and barracks in the country.
He continued saying the aim of the visit to the college has been defeated.
“He simply displayed that he has not been in touch with what has been happening to the police.
“Who does not know that all police colleges in Nigeria are in a dilapidated state and uninhabitable?
“Why did he go to Lagos? Was it because a television station aired the poor state of affairs there.
“What about Gwoza? What about Jos? Are these places better?
“Did he go to Lagos because it is cosmopolitan?
“It is meaningless.”
Kumo listed poor funding, welfare and equipment among the major problems of the Force, which had not been addressed for many years.
He reportedly disclosed that his committee had pre-planned a meeting with the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to discuss the challenges facing the Force.
Kumo clarified that the meeting, which is set for Wednesday, was already scheduled before Jonathan’s visit to Ikeja.
“That is not the aim. It was scheduled already that the IG and members of the committee would meet to discuss on police matters,” he stated.
The president had paid an unscheduled visit to the Police College in Lagos after a documentary was aired by ChannesTV detailing the inhumane condition of living police recruits are subjected to.