FG plans between 0.5% and 1% oil revenue deductions to fund Police – Akpabio

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday, said the Federal government is planning to strengthen the Nigeria Police Force to promote professionalism, including dedicating between 0.5% and 1% deductions from oil revenue into the Police Trust Fund.

…says additional deductions to come from States’ allocations

…74 dams approved for Sokoto- Badagry highway

Akpabio disclosed this after leading a delegation of Principal Officers of the Senate on a traditional Sallah homage to President Bola Tinubu at his Lagos residence, on Thursday.

The Senate President who stated that the National Assembly is looking into ways of providing funds to support the Police, described the the Police as ” a major issue that the National Assembly is looking at. We are actually looking at from 0.5% to 1% of revenue from the production account going into the police trust fund.

“That will also be for police infrastructure and equipment. Of course the states will also add their own.

Akpabio, while assessing the economic situation inherited by the Tinubu’s government, stressed that President Tinubu’s economic reforms have done a lot to “reposition Nigeria on the trajectory of growth, considering the kind of economy that we met when he came on board in 2023.”

Akpabio who also noted that it was very difficult to grow the economy, added that Nigeria “was expending money and printing money without earning income.

“He has stopped all that. We met multiple exchange rates. He has stopped all that. We met a situation of false subsidies. He has stopped all that.

“We also appreciate the fact that in the last three years, he has brought the very long queues that people used to experience in filling stations to an end. And tangible things that people may not see.”

Akpabio , speaking on Security, expressed the belief that working with the President, the National Assembly can come up with a solution. a framework that will enable the states to also partake in securing the lives and properties of the citizens in their area.

“We are looking at ways of creating a positive and not a negative state police and something that can have a national state police commission that will regulate the conduct of state policing and also promotion, training and all.

He also tasked the citizens also on the need to be sensitive, watch out for bad eggs in their society.

“We all know that the President is poised and the security agencies are poised so, that area will need serious improvement with all of us working together.

“Infrastructure is already ongoing and then of course we need to ramp up our crude oil production. Now that we have started selling crude in Naira and Dangote refinery is doing well and it’s taking a lot, we need to improved oil production to enable us also export to end foreign exchange to put in other sectors of the economy. So we are still looking forward to foreign investments

We are also looking forward to direct investment in areas of agriculture and all that. So for instance if you are talking about the President doing well, just in two areas of infrastructure, the coastal road is one area

“And then of course the Lagos-Badagry -Sokoto highway where we have about 74 dams that will revolutionize the agricultural sector in the country.

“So, we believe strongly that God will assist him and God will assist us. So God will assist Nigeria to see better days in the future so that we can sleep with our two eyes closed.”