New Telegraph

When Osinbajo boosted Police morale, welfare

Last week, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo lifted the morale of the police with the commissioning of the barracks donated by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). MURITALA AYINLA writes that the gesture has the tendency to improve livelihood of the officers and help in the development of the Niger-Delta region and Nigeria in general

 

 

Obviously this is not the best of times for the Nigerian police. The police barracks, stations and other bases have come under a series of attacks in recent times.

 

The police, which hitherto symbolised honour, fear, respect, law and order, have suddenly lost their respect and fear with the recent attacks and destruction. Nobody ever envisaged that police stations which were regarded as safe havens for the people would become subject of frequent attacks just like banks, filling stations and other targets of criminal elements.

 

Although, many attribute the audacious war against the police and their stations to bottled anger after years of frustrations of citizens by the atrocities of some overzealous police officers, especially the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, otherwise known as SARS, however, what is evident is that since the nationwide demonstration against the police brutality, which was hijacked and became bloody with wanton destruction of lives and properties, the men in uniform have become the targets of criminal elements including frustrated citizens.

 

In the wake of the bloody #End- SARS protest that nearly grounded the nation last October, several innocent lives were lost; acts of sexual violence were reported; major correctional facilities were attacked and convicts freed; public and private properties were completely destroyed or vandalised; the sanctity of the palaces especially that of the Oba of Lagos was violated, media houses were attacked and set ablaze by the criminals who took the advantage of the demonstration. So-called protesters also invaded an international airport and in the process disrupted the travel plans of fellow Nigerians and visitors.

 

 

Police stations and properties in their premises were set on fire while scores of the police officers were killed and maimed in the hijacked protests. All these were executed in the name of the #EndSARS protests.

 

Following the repeated deadly attack on the police stations, many police officers lost their confidence and authority, as seen in some viral videos; police officers now scamper for safety at any suspected crime.

 

While some  will take to their heels on sighting any criminals or group of demonstrators, others will quickly put on their uniforms or disguise themselves as civilians to avoid being attacked. Their barracks, stations and even their headquarters are no longer safe havens for anyone in the face of unending attacks on the security base.

 

But in an apparent move to boost the confidence of the Nigerian police force, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) last week officially commissioned the Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 6 barracks of the Nigerian Police, at Omagwa, in Rivers State.

 

New Telegraph learnt that the Special Protection Unit Base 6 barracks, which was built and donated by the NDDC, consists of 66 units of accommodation for officers of the SPU. It also comprises a five-bedroom commander’s quarters, functional office accommodation, a sentry post, guardroom with armoury and a parade ground for the Nigerian Police Force.

 

The Vice President, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, said that the commissioning was part of their administration’s efforts to improve the livelihood of officers, peace, prosperity and development of Niger Delta in particular and Nigeria in general. Vice President, who was accompanied to the event by the Ministers of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and Police Affairs, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, restated the administration’s commitment to provide various platforms for all the security agencies in the fight against terrorism, banditry, and all forms of criminality.

 

He said that the move was in line with ongoing reforms of the Police and efforts towards improving the nation’s security architecture.

 

Osinbajo said: “Today’s event meets two objectives. First, it is an important part of our efforts to improve the lives and livelihoods of our police officers and it is also another important milestone in my administration’s pursuit of the peace, prosperity and development of the Niger Delta.

 

“We recognise that establishing adequate security is absolutely integral to the fulfilment of this objective which is why we have committed significant resources to projects such as we are about to commission.”

 

Highlighting the administration’s ongoing Police reforms, the President noted that the Police Force was a crucial component of the country’s law enforcement architecture.

 

He said: “They are the civil force, the closest to the people in the various communities. In the past months we have been undertaking a major reform of the Police. “First we believe that we must increase the number of police personnel. So, we have set yearly recruitment targets.

 

We also are in the process of re-equipping our personnel, both in personal gear and hardware. An important feature of the reform is accommodation for men and officers.

 

“I have directed that the building of barracks for men should be done in collaboration with the social housing effort of the Family Homes Fund. This will ensure speed in execution.

 

 

“Funding of the Police Force remains a huge challenge. This is why we worked with the National Assembly to enact the Police Trust Fund Act. We are also looking at other measures to improve funding for the Police.” According to him, the project is important because it is a means by which the accommodation challenges of senior security personnel posted to Rivers State and ultimately enhance the security footprint in the region.

 

“The cumulative impact of this and other similar projects will be the improvement of security in the state and the consolidation of the economic and social life of the people of the area.”

 

The VP specifically commended Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State for his warm and generous hospitality and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, “for providing leadership and resilience amidst mounting challenges” as well as the Minister of Police Affairs and the Inspector General of Police “for their hard work and dedication to the enormous task of repositioning the Police.”

 

While urging the Niger-Delta Development Commission to execute more projects that will benefit the people of the Niger Delta, he said that the Federal Government has invested significantly in the NDDC.

 

He said that the government recognizes that this outlay of resources must be justified with verifiable projects that will improve the living standards of the people in the region.

 

At the event were other senior federal and state government officials, including the Interim Administrator of the NDDC, Mr Effiong Akwa; Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Senator Babafemi Ojudu; and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang; among others.

Read Previous

Flooding: Akute residents send SOS to govt

Read Next

Q1’21: Forex for external debt servicing hits $1bn

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *