By Tony Adibe
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF), Alhaji Mohammed Sheidu, and the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, Mr. Bitrus Giwa have all emphasised the need for quality accommodation for police officers and men as well as their families in Nigeria.
The three personalities said that provision of good shelter and comfortable working/living conditions for the police personnel would enhance their efficiency, dignity, as well as boost their morale to put in their best.
Egbetokun, Sheidu, and Giwa spoke on Tuesday during the formal groundbreaking ceremony of a six-man rank and file quarters at Ozalla, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, being initiated by the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF).
They were of the view that effective housing of the officers and men, as well as their families, would also strengthen their commitment to their constitutional duties. However, they bemoaned the fact that some police personnel live in unsuitable conditions and should, therefore, be accommodated comfortably for optimum performance.
Alhaji Sheidu, who focused on the importance of better housing for the police personnel, also noted that better accommodation not only enhances efficiency but also increases the dignity of the officers and men.
“At the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, we strongly believe that a well-housed police officer is a more motivated, more focused, and more effective police officer. This project is therefore not just about building, it is about dignity, stability, and creating an enabling environment for our officers and their families.
“This development also forms part of a broader, nationwide intervention by the Trust Fund, which includes the construction and rehabilitation of police barracks, training institutions, operating infrastructure, and welfare-focused projects, implemented in collaboration with states, communities, and strategic partners.
“As we break the ground today, I want to assure the people of Enugu State and the Nigeria Police Force that this project will be delivered with transparency, quality, and speed,” Sheidu said.
However, Giwa, who represented the IGP at the occasion, said: “This infrastructural development by the NPTF, being one of its core mandates, will go a long way in enhancing the working environment of police officers in the Ozalla community and Enugu State at large.
“More importantly, it will significantly boost morale, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen the commitment of the benefiting officers to their constitutional duties.
“It is therefore the assurance of the Inspector-General of Police that the Nigeria Police Force will provide all necessary support to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund to ensure that this project is completed within record time and deployed for its intended purpose.”
Giwa further said that Egbetokun “enjoins the contractors and engineers handling the project to uphold the highest standards of quality, professionalism, and integrity throughout the construction process.”
While commending the gesture by the NPTF in building the officers’ quarters, Giwa bemoaned the fact that other police formations in the state lacked better accommodation and wished that similar gestures would be extended to them as well.
“On our part, while expressing our deep appreciation for the conception and commencement of this project, the Enugu State Command, like Oliver Twist, respectfully requests the Trust Fund to kindly extend this noble intervention to other police facilities across the State. Of particular concern is the existing six-man rank-and-file quarters adjacent to this site, which is in a seriously dilapidated condition and requires urgent renovation.
“In addition, the Agbani Area Command, which oversees the Ozalla Division and six other Divisions, is presently housed in a structure grossly unbefitting of an Area Command Headquarters.
“There is therefore an urgent need for the construction of a purpose-built and befitting Headquarters for the Area Command. Several other divisional and area command offices and barracks across the State similarly require attention.
“Consequently, we sincerely request that the Trust Fund, in collaboration with the Officer-in-Charge of Works of the Enugu State Command, undertakes an on-the-spot assessment of these facilities to guide future remedial interventions,” Giwa maintained.
