Three deserving Police officers were on Wednesday, presented with awards of recognition for professionalism and integrity in the discharge og their duties by the Anambra State Police-Stakeholders Partnership forum, PSPF.
The officers include a former Commissioner of Police in the state, CP John Abang who was recognized for promoting Police-Citizens Engagement and Professional Standards as CP as well as CSP Haruna Mohammed, for Effective Public Relations and Community Engagement as PPRO Anambra State Police Command.
RelatedPosts
Also recognized and honoured was CSP Rabiu Garba, for Effective Community Engagement, Professional Service and Courage, as the DPO Fegge Police Division, Onitsha.
The Anambra State PSPF was inaugurated on November 27, 2019, under the auspices of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), in collaboration with the Anambra State Police Command.
It was one of the outcomes of the assessment conducted by RULAAC, in partnership with the NPF and with support from the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) to ascertain the levels of awareness and implementation of the Anambra State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJA) 2010.
According to the Executive Director of RULAAC, this intervention included capacity building for citizens and the establishment of the PSPF as a stakeholders’ platform to monitor compliance by the NPF with the Anambra State ACJL, 2010.
He said the activity is geared towards achieving greater police accountability and citizens’ responsiveness towards their roles in achieving that.
“The PSPF has helped to promote police-citizens’ interaction and dialogue and improved police-public relations.
“It has also achieved many successes in addressing citizens’ complaints and resolving cases brought to the attention of the police in Anambra State.
“This was made possible by the active and wholehearted support given to the initiative by the former CP Anambra, now AIG John Abang (Retired), as well as the former Police Public Relations Officers (PPRO) CSP Haruna Mohammed whom the former CP assigned to be part of the platform, to help address citizens’ complaints that come to the attention of the platform,” Nwanguma noted.
He also highlighted the contributions of the awardees especially during the COVID pandemic and the ENDSARS saga, saying the PSPF was thorough in choosing them.
“Many of us here today will testify that AIG Abang, as CP Anambra and CSP Haruna were especially amazing during the Covid-19 lockdown and curfew when numerous complaints of abuse of power by some police officers in Anambra State were constantly brought to their attention through this platform and they were always prompt and committed in responding and addressing the complaints to the satisfaction of both the complainants/victims and citizens in the state.
“Also recall the October 2020 nationwide #EndSARS protests and the sad events at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos which resulted to the degeneration of the protests into a nationwide violence and the unfortunate targeting of police officers for attacks and killing, and police infrastructure for vandalisation and arson by the violent mobs that hijacked the protests across the country.
“During this most difficult period for the NPF, some police officers exhibited rare courage and demonstrated that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the police can be connected with the people they serve in their communities.
“One of the places we witnessed this rare evidence of good community police relations was in Fegge Police Division, Onitsha, Anambra State, where the DPO Rabiu Garba, rather than abandon his station and flee from the mob, came out and addressed the mob and they listened to him and never burnt his station.
“This was a rare evidence of community engagement and building trust and good relationships which deserves special commendation,” he acknowledged.
The Anambra State PSPF Coordinator, Prince Chris Azor explained that the forum was established to serve as a mechanism for holding Police personnel to account for rights violations, while growing skills and awareness to ensure prevention and reduction of such violations.
“The PSPF aims to address the deficit in monitoring capacity within communities and to fill the gap in citizens’ awareness of the Anambra State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2010,” Azor said.
In a keynote address, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Echeng stressed the need for mutual respect and partnership between the Police and the communities in Anambra State, if efforts at securing the lives of the people will succeed.
Echeng noted that building trust is key for effective Community Engagement, noting that the Police must actively cultivate the trust of the Community and refrain from any act that endangers that trust.
“Communities too must endeavour not to abuse this trust. When individuals give false information aimed at achieving selfish objectives, it erodes the mutual trust.
“Both sides must understand that they need each other and that a partnership built on mutual respect must be forged in the interest of the Community.
“It is on this note I want to commend the great minds behind this initiative of Anambra State Police Stakeholders Partnership Forum (PSPF) for helping to forge a partnership that works.
“RULAAC as an advocacy Centre has proven that it understands the needs of modern societies for Rule of Law and Accountability.
“The Police as a Public Institution will continue to make itself accountable in the administration of Criminal Justice,” he assured.
Some police officers recognized at the event including CSP Mohammed and CSP Garba expressed appreciation for the honour, saying the job of rebuilding the Police Force is a collective one.
