The federal government has approved the sum of N13 billion for the take-off of community policing initiative in Nigeria.
The approval is part of measures aimed at containing the insecurity in the country.
Following the approval, the National Economic Council (NEC) at its virtual meeting on Thursday, resolved that the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), and two other governors should meet with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Finance Minister and the Inspector General of Police to coordinate the proper utilization of the funding of the initiative.
At the meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with state governors, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor and some federal cabinet officials in attendance, the NEC ad-hoc Committee on Security and Policing, had made a presentation on its assignment, noting that engagement with key stakeholders on the operationalization of community policing in the country was in ongoing.
The Council also received reports on the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country; flood disaster risk management in Nigeria for 2020, and the issue of compensation payments regarding Federal Highway projects across the country.
It emerged from the briefing of the council that the World Bank has cleared 35 states in the country for the $1.5billion stimulus package to cushion the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The plan is part of the World Bank’s package for immediate fiscal relief for Nigeria, following discussion between bank’s Country Director and the Economic Sustainability Committee, chaired by Vice President Osinbajo.
Governor of Nassarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, who briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, said that 22 states signed the Grant Agreement (GA)!while 13 are yet to return signed GAs.
According to him, the 22 states that signed GA are Ekiti, Gombe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, Taraba, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, Plateau, Delta, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kwara, Cross-River, Imo, Yobe, Ondo, Osun, Nasarawa and Benue.
He said of the 22 states, the 16 states that had received N100 million grant each, totalling N1.6billion.
The states include Ekiti, Gombe, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, Zamfara, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kwara, Cross-River, Imo and Delta.
The next five states on the list for the grant according to him, are Plateau, Yobe, Ondo, Benue and Osun, while Nassarawa State is yet to communicate account details.
