The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has announced that President Goodluck Jonathan will inaugurate a professional code of conduct for the police on Thursday.
Abubakar, who made this announcement while hosting a party for newly promoted junior officers of the force on Saturday in Abuja, said that the code of conduct was aimed at professionalizing the police force and act as a guide for their actions.
“For the first time in the history of the Nigeria Police, a professional code of conduct will be launched by the President for the officers and men of the police. This is to ensure you are guided and that Nigerians are fully aware of what we should and should not do.
“We shall continue to do away with the things that do not belong in the police force. Our ethics must be professional ethics and must be respected and obeyed.”
He also announced that the president had approved the removal of the police from the contributory pension scheme and replaced by a scheme managed by police personnel.
“The Nigeria Police will have their own pension scheme, which shall be manned by their own personnel,” he said, describing it as a victory by the police in the fight for its own pension scheme and thanked the President for his understanding and support.
He also said that the President was wholly committed to the welfare and well-being of the officers and men of the Nigeria Police, adding that a technical committee had been constituted to examine the issue of the salaries and allowances of the rank and file of the police.
He disclosed that not less than 700 housing units would be delivered to the officers and men of the Nigeria Police by middle of the year.
“God’s willing, 2013 will be a better year for members of the police because it is in our plan, just like we have started to feed our officers and men who are on duty at the force headquarters. “I am putting in every effort to ensure that anywhere a policeman is on duty, he is being fed. “All these are measures we are taking to ensure that you are given the benefit that you deserve while in service and while alive. “We have done our best in the service of this country in spite of all odds,’’ he said.