IGP launches new automated portal for police cooperative society

 

• Reassures Abuja residents of security

 

BY EMMANUEL OGWU

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has advised personnel of Nigeria Police Force to brace up for change in their dealings with the Police Cooperative Multi-Purpose Society Limited (POLCOOP), as the society automates its operations.

The Police Cooperative Society was established in 1977 by Force Order No. 130, to cater for the welfare needs of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and their families. It is reputed as the largest cooperative society in Africa, with well over 300,000 membership.

IGP Adamu spoke Monday at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, at the formal launch of the Automated Cooperative Management Portal of the POLCOOP.

He said with the automation of the processes of the Society’s operations police personnel will no longer have the need to travel to Lagos, headquarters of the Society, to engage in any transaction as they can easily do that from their various locations, using their mobile phones or computers.

“The huge membership size, wide business coverage and expansive investment profile of the Society have combined to make it expedient that its operations be automated and aligned to technological dynamics.

“Much as significant progress has been made in this regard over the years, I am glad that the platform we are here to launch today, will take us much closer to a level of end-to-end automation. This will not only strengthen the accountability process within the Society, it shall aid the ease of doing business by the contributors, particularly, in relation to accessing the services of the Cooperative Society,” the IGP said.

He added: “I have additionally received confirmation that the Police Cooperative Society shall fully migrate its operations to the new portal immediately after today’s launching. This process will help to automate savings withdrawal, contribution management, loans administration, member management, automated reporting, and inventory management.

“In the long-run, the automation process being advanced today will strengthen the status of the Police Cooperative Society as a leading cooperative movement providing distinctive and innovative welfare services to its members through the utilisation of ICT solutions.

“Towards this end, I strongly encourage all members to embrace the change within the Police Cooperative Society as, henceforth, no longer will police personnel be exposed to the risk of travelling from their various commands and formations to process their loan applications, savings withdrawals, or get their contributions balances from the cooperative headquarters in Lagos. All these services will be done just by the press of the buttons on their computers or mobile devices.”

Adamu said he was delighted to note that the application being deployed by POLCOOP was developed locally by an indigenous digital technology firm and capital market operator, adding that it aligned with the Federal Government’s policy of enhancing local contents in ICT acquisition.

“I have been assured that appropriate security measures have been placed by the software developers to protect the application from intrusive activities that could threaten the integrity of the data base and compromise the personal and classified information of the co-operators,” he said.

He congratulated CP Dasuki Galandanchi and his team at the Cooperative for their foresight, dedication and innovation in bringing the automation to fruition. He also challenged them to sustain the tempo and commitment to the welfare of personnel of the Nigeria Police through enhanced service delivery by the Nigeria Police Cooperative Society.

In another development, the IGP has assured Nigerians and particularly residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, of their safety and security. He said the reassurance became necessary following reported upsurge in crime rate within and around the FCT.

While advising law abiding citizens to go about their businesses, he assured that the FCT Police Command has a robust plan to continually rejig and effectively tackle prevailing and emerging crimes.