Akpabio to give police reform legislative support

Ini Billie, Uyo

The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio has said the National Assembly is ready to give the necessary legislative backing for the review of outdated laws, while promoting police reforms and professionalism.

Speaking during the Police Service Commission Board Induction/Strategic Management session in Ikot Ekpene on Monday, Akpabio, who was represented by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, called for the introduction of a reward system for outstanding police officers.

He said Nigeria must begin to institutionalize merit, discipline and integrity over mediocrity, favoritism, and impunity, noting that reforms in the police requires courage that would disrupt the status quo.

He urged the PSC to adopt policies that would make the police protectors instead of predators, and deliver justice instead of judgment, and called for the adaptation of community policing models that emphasise empathy, conflict resolution, and neighbourhood engagement, like Japan and Finland.

“Reform requires courageous disruption. In Singapore, police transformation was anchored on stringent recruitment standards, transparency in promotions, and fierce accountability.

“In Nigeria, we must begin to institutionalise merit over mediocrity, discipline over favouritism, and integrity over impunity.

“On performance optimisation, it is time to introduce a reward system that recognises and uplifts those officers who embody the finest ideals of public service.

“The policeman who refuses a bribe may return home empty-handed today, but he must not return without hope—hope that in the end, integrity shall yield a reward far greater than the fleeting spoils of corruption. We must elevate the culture of commendation above the culture of condemnation.

“Let us develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), integrate technology into everyday policing, and ensure that our officers are trained not just to subdue but to serve. Let data drive deployment, let intelligence drive action, and let results determine reward.

“We recognise that no reform will endure without legislative partnership. The National Assembly stands ready to review outdated laws, approve essential reforms, and provide the robust oversight needed to ensure a professional, people-oriented police system,” he stated.

Acknowledging that funding deficits, outdated training models, low morale, corruption public distrust were some of the challenges of the Nigerian Police, the Senate President urged the PSC board to leave a legacy for the system, better than what they met.

He stated that their appointment was a call to purpose, a mandate to reform, and a sacred trust to serve, adding that the police force must not be seen as an arm of coercion, but an engine of trust, justice, and public service.