…….. the appointment of the members was based on merit and their commendable track records.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Muhammad Dingyadi, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday in Abuja, inaugurated the governing board of the Nigeria Police Academy (POLAC), Wudil, Kano State.

According to NAN, Dingyadi said the inauguration had further reaffirmed President Buhari’s commitment to bequeath a reformed, professionalized, highly motivated, and knowledge-based police force to institutionalize proactive policing in Nigeria,

He said the approval of the governing board sought to fully operationalize the provisions of the Police Academy (Establishment) Act 2021, earlier signed into law by the president on April 7, 2022.

The minister said the ministry had the statutory responsibility of exercising control and supervision of the policy, finances, and property of the academy.

The board, according to him also has the power to appoint professors and other principal academic and administrative staff of the academy who are not police officers.

He said that the board also stipulates terms of conditions of their appointment; determining their remuneration and scope of responsibilities.

“Promote and discipline staff of the academy that are not police officers on the advice of the appropriate committees; consider and approve the academy’s annual budget or estimates, external auditor’s report, and any variation therein.

“Approve recommendations for the appointment of emeritus professors; appoint bankers, auditors, or any other agents for the academy and approve the status of the academy as may be required under this act.

“Approve the creation of any offices, department or committee as may be considered necessary or expedient for the smooth running of the academy,” he said.

Dingyadi urged appointed members to bring to bear their wealth of experience and ingenuity, in the realization of the statutory responsibility of re-engineering a world standard policing system in Nigeria.
Responding on behalf of the board members, Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Usman Baba, pledged the commitment of the board to transform POLAC into a center of excellence.

Baba said the academy had since its establishment, grown from strength to strength and would continue to produce fine police officers in various fields of study.

“We are proud of this academy which is one of its kind in the world and we believe it will be one university that no parent would want to miss for his child to be.

“It is a university where nobody asks you for tuition, nobody asks you for accommodation, nobody asks you for school fees.

“After graduation, you, also have work and also have an area of specialization based on what you read.

“I think it is a privilege that is given to Nigerians by the government and we will try to make sure that whatever it entails we will do,” he said.