Lawmaker Declares Nigeria Under-Policed

A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Arua Arunsi
(PDP-Arochukwu-Ohafia in Abia), says Nigeria was under-policed, going by the
ratio of the police to the country’s population.

Arunsi made the
remark in an interview with The Tide’s source in Umuahia.

The legislator said the current total police figure of
300,000 was grossly inadequate for the country’s estimated 160 million people.

Arunsi, the Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives
Committee on Police Affairs, said the ongoing police reform would address the
numerous challenges confronting the organisation.

“Nigeria has barely 300,000 policemen and this is not enough
for a population of 160 million people.

“This is why we are emphasising on the reform aimed at
making the police more efficient in the discharge of their constitutional
mandate to Nigeria and Nigerians,’’ he said.

The representative said the nation had fared well in the
past 52 years, especially in the steady growth in democratic governance.

“As far as democracy is concerned, we have fared very well,
especially in our human rights rating,’’ Arunsi said.

He admitted that the country was yet to get to where it
ought to be, and called on Nigerians to be patient, saying that the country had
the capacity to attain greatness.

Arunsi said the South East caucus in the house had taken a
position on state creation, noting that the zone needed an additional state to
equal other geo-political zones.

“The position of the caucus is that the South East should have
one or more states for the sake of fairness and equity,’’ he said.

The legislator said the caucus was deeply worried by the
deplorable state of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.

He said the zonal caucus in the National Assembly was
considering constituting a committee to liaise with the Federal Government and
other relevant agencies on the matter.

Arunsi applauded the Federal Government for approving N2.78
billion contract for the construction of the Nkporo-Ohafia-Abiriba road in his
constituency.