New dawn in police as IG provides new houses

I feel very happy, I feel elated. I feel fulfilled. I laid the foundation to this housing estate, under the police housing scheme which I initiated. I laid the foundation when I was in the office. And it reached lintel level before I left.

Caleb, Jonathan, Abubakar

“Unfortunately, the two inspectors general of police who came after me did nothing about it. The present IG took it over and completed it.
“When he invited me for the commissioning, I was happy. That’s just the problem we have with our system. When an officer starts something, his predecessors usually abandon it. It’s fortunate that MD Abubakar continued with my programme, that’s what you’re seeing today.”
Those were the poignant words of the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Sir Mike Okiro.

Okiro was one of the top dignitaries at the commissioning of the ‘Goodluck Jonathan Police Housing Estate,’ Pipeline Road,  Idimu area of Lagos State.
The commissioned houses were 200 units of three bedroom flats and they were completed within eight months, thanks to Mohammed Abubakar’s tenacity to make sure that members of the Nigeria Police Force have befitting accommodations.
Just few weeks back, Abubakar was at the Police College, Ikeja, to commission standard hospitals, with laboratories. The hospitals, replicated in different states of the federation, will see to the sound health of the police personnel, said Abubakar.

The creations of hospitals and now 200 units of three bedroom flats, with more buildings being constructed in different parts of the country,  have been described by many as epoch events in the history of the Nigeria Police.
Members of the Nigeria Police Force can become owners/landlords of the apartments, by payment of N8million, which is expected to be paid on installment basis.
An enthusiastic Okiro continued: “For too long, the police had been derided, frustrated and demoralized for too long. I’m happy that someone like Abubakar, who is passionate like me about the welfare of the men, is now at the helms of affair.
“My agenda as the chairman PSC is to ensure that the men work effectively. Both of us, that’s Abubakar and I  are going to collaborate to see how we can bring the Police Force back to what it used to be. To make it the dream police force of the entire citizens of Nigeria.
“Members of Idimu community should be very happy. When I laid the foundation, they were very happy. When the construction stopped, I got series of complaints that work on the project has stopped, I told them not to worry. I told them that one day, the Moses will come who will complete the project and the Moses has arrived!”
The President Goodluck Jonathan, who came to commission the project, promised that he was going to look into the conditions of the barracks in Nigeria, not just those of the police, but other forces well.
According to him, he was going to look into the conditions of the barracks, with the aim of renovating and making them decent for habitation of those serving the nation.
He added: “What we did at the Police College Ikeja, would be replicated in other areas.  We’ll look into renovation of all barracks. Men and women serving this nation deserve to live in decent environments.”
Reacting the 200 units of the three bedroom flats which he came to commission, Jonathan enthused that this was the first time in recent history that such lofty feat had been achieved by Nigeria Police Force initiative.
He opined that the construction of the houses was an outcome of partnership with public private partnership.
He added: “I encourage other government sectors to partner with private sector. I shall also look into federal government mortgage banks with a view to restructure them, in order to meet the needs of the people. Sustained growth can only be achieved at an atmosphere of peace.”
Maintenance culture had never been a strong suit with members of the Nigerian Police Force. Indeed, among the entire sister forces in Nigeria, police barracks are usually the dirtiest, with most of the buildings on the verge of collapse.
Reacting to this known problem of maintenance, Abubakar said: “You know that maintenance is a critical word in this part of the country, but we’ll do everything humanly possible to ensure there is maintenance.
“You can see here, that with private partnership, this won’t look like the barracks we used to have. It will be different from the other barracks. Even the concept is different.
“The most important thing is for you to provide shelter for a human being and we’ve done that. This is the first time it is happening in the police. The issue is not about how much or how they’re going to pay. Don’t forget, we’re still in service. We shouldn’t go outside the rules and regulations of our service.”