Daily Champion (Lagos)
3 November 2009
NAN — The Ministry of Police Affairs has approved the immediate payment of the Nigeria Police Force's N142 million indebtedness to the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Kaduna.
This was contained in a statement by Mr. James Odaudu, the Chief Press Secretary of the Ministry of Police Affairs and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) last Saturday in Abuja.
The statement quoted Dr. Ibrahim Lame, the Minister of Police Affairs, as saying while on a visit to the corporation, that the payment was part of the Federal Government's efforts to reposition the corporation.
It stated that the present administration would empower the institution to enable it play a big role in realising the security component of President Umaru Yar'Adua's Seven-Point Agenda.
Lame said the Force would soon enter into a partnership with DICON for arms procurement.
He said the patronage of local manufacturers of arms and ammunition would enable the Nigeria Police to determine its own specifications.
"With adequate funding and the right orientation, the corporation could meet most of the artillery needs of not just the Nigeria Police Force," the statement said.
The Director-General of the Corporation, Brig-Gen. Sule Labaran, who received the minister, said the institution, which was established in 1964, had been plagued by a number of problems that hampered the performance of its functions.
Labaran enumerated the problems to include reduced funding, lack of patronage, obsolete equipment, poor power supply and dearth of qualified staff.
He, however, said with the setting up of the Presidential Committee on the rehabilitation of the corporation in 2006 and the release of N1 billion, the organisation had begun to experience a new lease of life.
Labaran said that the Corporation recently acquired some state -of- the- art multi-functional equipment and started the process of engaging highly qualified staff for proper re-positioning.
He said the corporation had signed an agreement worth N2.8 billion with a Chinese institution for the establishment of a production line.
He said under the new arrangement the corporation would be able to produce kalashikanov brand of guns, high calibre ammunition, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), Rockets and Armoured Plated Vehicles.
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