Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that Nigeria must make efforts towards strengthening all those who protect the nation and its people.
Shettima said this while speaking at the National Police Day Grand Parade and Procession in Abuja on Tuesday, April 7.
Representing President Bola Tinubu at the event, Shettima said there are plans by the current administration to deepen investment in police training, intelligence gathering, and modern law enforcement systems.
He said this is part of the President Tinubu-led administration’s broader plan to transform the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) into a world-class institution.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Stanley Nowocha, the vice president was quoted as saying that the Nigerian state owes a permanent moral duty to empower its security agencies, as the nation’s peace is only as secure as the men and women who keep vigil over its citizens.
Shettima maintained that no nation can make meaningful progress without a secure social environment.
“We will continue to support these reforms through sustained investment in training and capacity development, modern equipment and technology, improved intelligence and investigative capabilities, and better welfare and working conditions for police personnel.
“We are determined to build a Police Force that is well equipped, well trained, and well-motivated to confront the complex security challenges of our time,” Shettima said.
He further observed that while history chooses to reward certain professions with applause, there are others which civilisation depends on to survive, even when their labour is too often repaid with silence.
While acknowledging the burden of sacrifice being shouldered by the police force, Shettima stressed that the country cannot afford to take such a sacrifice for granted because “every nation is only as safe as those who keep vigil while others sleep.”
“Nigeria must strengthen those who protect the nation. Security is not simply the defence of territory or the prevention of crime. It is the first currency of progress,” Shettima added.
