CLEEN Foundation advocate for sustainability policing reform infrastructure

Policing reforms in Nigeria have often been seen as progress that lacks substantive impact despite various legislative measures and policy interventions, state actors' effective implementation and compliance remain significant challenges with little room for citizens' perspectives and voices to be captured in the police and justice sector reform processes. 

To this end, A CLEEN Foundation in collaboration with Mac Arthur Foundation has advocated for better policing reform infrastructure that will safeguard citizen’s life and property in Nigeria.

Speaking to journalist, the Director of program, CLEEN Foundation, Mr. Salaudeen Hasim, during the workshop on policy brief media presentation themed: “Policing reforms and accountability of Justice sector actors in Nigeria” held on Friday in Lagos, stated that the citizens believe that for policing to be very effective, oversight must be strengthened and there must be some level of internal strengthening of the entire system.

He said that for us to achieve this, it requires that there must be some level of both political, operational, personnel and of course some level of support from the defence system and some kind of infrastructure that supports the operationalisation of a modern and contemporary policing to be able to respond to the needs of the people.

According to him, basically it's about equipment, training, public trust.

“Most importantly public trust is where the challenge really lies. I believe very strongly that there are already some kind of attempts from different quarters to improve the confidence of citizens in policing and the entire policing infrastructure that is actually working”

“Again, there must be some deliberate efforts that must be done and put in place to be able to ensure that we deepen this particular divide. To be very honest, the system is making all the efforts to put a reform pathway that will be owned by the people”

“This initiative is actually focused because we want to strengthen the entire policing system and for policing system to be able to improve the kind of buildings that are established and to also respond to the needs of the local and ordinary Nigerians”

“And one of the things that we have seen is that, there is this concern that access to justice or access to security is actually something that is not being informed by human security needs but by regional security”

“Findings suggest that the laws are still gender blind. There are still provisions within the system that also does not support some gender responsive plan particularly as it borders around the contemporary needs. And modern policing requires that there must be some level of parity and balancing” Hasim stated.

 He stressed that those discriminatory provisions are still the areas where citizens are concerned and that some marginal reviews should also be looked into around them.

He stated further that, for every reform to achieve the desired results and objectives, there must be some kind of political will but when political interference are not supporting the reform to achieve its goal is going to be a setback.

He added that, our country demands for a police that is modern; respects the rights of the people; safeguards; protects; guides; provides protective and proactive protection. Not a police that misconducts, has a set mind or a set agenda.

“ A police that people can actually see and be confident and have trust in and of course see as partners in progress”

“You cannot achieve adequate and sustainable human security without looking at the entire pyramid that complements the human security component, and that is the issue of economic security” He said