By Abubakar Yunusa Abuja
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has inaugrated the Civil Society Organisation’s Observatory on the Implementation of the Police Act 2020 and the Police Trust Fund Act 2019 respectively.
The Explainer learned that RULAAC is a member of a Consortium implementing different activities under a Police Reform Project supported by McArthur Foundation and also aimed at promoting police accountability and entrenching a rights-respecting policing atmosphere in Nigeria in line with democratic values.
Speaking during the Inauguration, its Executive Director, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma, explained that this project is designed to address the persistent problem of police brutality and human rights violations by the police.
According to him, globally, police institutions have come under scrutiny and are concerned about the delivery of their mandate, especially on the issues of extrajudicial killings and the use of force beyond permissible levels by police officers across the globe.
He said one of the activities being implemented by RULAAC as a member of the consortium is the establishment of a Civil Society Organisation’s Observatory (CSO-PTF Support and Oversight Group)on the Implementation of the Police Act, 2020 and the Police Trust Fund Act, 2019.
While highlighting the event, Okechukwu said CSO-PTF Support and Oversight Group which will act as a catalyst to spur the Police Trust Fund to deliver on its mandate.
“The CSO-PTF Support Group is also carrying out sensitisation to create public awareness across the six geo-political zones of the country on the existence of the Police Trust Fund and its mandate.
“The CSO-PTF Support and Oversight Group will hold zonal and national bi-monthly meetings on the performance assessment of the Police Trust Fund across the country”, he said
Speaking further, he disclosed the organisations present here today have been carefully selected and identified as some of the credible and reliable CSO groups working around police and policing issues in the North West Zone which would serve as partners and in-road to the Zone as RULAAC and the Consortium members would ride
on your networks for the implementation of this program.
Today’s event is both the inception meeting with the identified CSOs to introduce the project objectives and intimate you of your roles as members of the support group as well as capacity building for CSOs on the Police Act 2020 and the Police Trust Fund Act 2019.
“To address these concerns in Nigeria, the Consortium proposed a series of actions aimed at bridging a gap in communication on policy formulation and police reform agenda in Nigeria.
“Our intervention seeks to address the various concerns regarding policing practices in Nigeria aimed ultimately at protecting Nigeria’s fragile democracy.
“We collectively recognise the need to strengthen the capacity of the police to understand their role in the survival of Nigeria’s democracy by upholding
the tenets of police accountability and respect for human rights”, he explained
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