With the 2011 elections around the corner former Inspector General of Police, Musiliu Smith berated the police force, when he said the police lacked needed resources to adequately maintain law and order during the forthcoming elections.
Speaking at a conference where he delivered a paper titled, "Security Institutions and Electoral Reforms", at the Obafemi Awolowo Institute of Governance and Public Policy.Smith said the police is faced with issues bothering on inadequate staff and poor funding.
"The Nigeria Police Force, no doubt shoulders a major security responsibility for elections. With a staff strength that is still under 500,000 (inclusive of specialists and those manning police stations nationwide) to cover at least 120,000 polling stations and annual poor funding that makes it impossible to provide officers and men with attractive/motivating service conditions and necessary logistics in the right quantity and quality, it will be sheer wishful thinking to expect efficient performance", he said.
At the moment, Nigeria is busy with plans for the next general election, but there may not be free and fair election in 2011 if police would not be there to take full charge, because they are poorly funded.
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