By Godwin Ajom
In a two-day interactive session, brainstorming, training on police reforms, and knowledge enhancement on the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and Law (ACJA/L) in Cross River, Nigeria, stakeholders have called for gender balance and other reforms in police recruitment and other security agencies.
Speaking at the event in Calabar, organized by the Civic Society observatory for the implementation of the ACJA/L, with support from Mc Arthur Foundation, and CLEEN Foundation, with the theme, “Citizens Engagement on Police Reforms and Accountability in the Criminal Justice Sector”, stakeholders expressed concern on the reduced number of female security personnel, especially in the police; lack of trained sign language instructors, inadequate funding and several other issues as setbacks of the Nigerian Police Force.
Speaking to CrossRiverWatch, SP Philomena Modor, an officer in charge of the Gender Unit, Cross River State Police command, appealed for more opportunities for female security personnel to prove their passion and potential in solving the Nigerian security challenges:
She said: “It is always 40 over 60; 40 percent for females and 60 for males. I don’t know why it is like that, but actually, the males are more than the females; I hope that it can be addressed subsequently. Because some senior female Police Officers are actually bringing that up; women should be given opportunities to also do the work that men do, after all, we’ve seen in practice that some females are even doing better than the men.
“What recruiting more women will bring into the Police force is more passion, tolerance, and a motherly-like approach to security operations. Females should be given more opportunities. In Cross River, we have only one female police Divisional Police Officer (DPO). Females need more opportunities to work,” she added.
On his part, the Chairman of the Civil Society Organization Observatory, represented by Barrister George Akiki who is the Secretary of the Observatory Group, gave insight into the training. He said the essence of the meeting is citizens’ engagement on policy reforms and accountability of Justice actors and have identified physically trending, feasible issues and gaps mitigating against proper functioning of the ACJL.
“We expect that having identified the gaps, within one year, we should see changes through our charter planned interface with the various stakeholders through town hall meetings.”
Meanwhile Blessing Abiri, Programs Advisor, at Cleen Foundation, said the training and reform seeking stakeholder engagement presents a win-win situation for the justice and security sectors.
She explained that the forum enables experts to really delver into key setbacks in the two sectors: “It is always advisable that we should not assume we know all what citizens need, they should be engagements like these to shape the reforms. synergies have been built for joint problem-solving in both the justice and police sectors.
The training cum stakeholders engagement brought together the Correctional service, Immigration, Media, Lawyers, Police and several CSOs operating in Cross River State. It was identified that the police and justice sectors require quick and urgent reforms to accelerate implementation.
