By Muh'd Shafi'u Saleh Rt Honorable Kwamoti La'ori, a member of the House of Representatives representing the Demsa/Numan/Lamu...
By Muh'd Shafi'u Saleh
Rt Honorable Kwamoti La'ori, a member of the House of Representatives representing the Demsa/Numan/Lamurde federal constituency, has moved for the suspension of the ongoing eviction and displacement of police personnel and their families from quarters under the claims of barrack renovation, reconstruction, or remodeling throughout the country.
Speaking on the floor of the chamber, the member highlighted the need to investigate the defective policy implementation.
“It’s been more than five years since the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Act, 2019 was signed into law by His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on June 24, 2019. The Act is set to operate for six years from its commencement date, meaning the law has one year remaining before it expires.
"Section 5(e) of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Act, 2019, clearly states that one of the purposes of the fund is 'for the construction of police stations, provision of living facilities, such as quarters or barracks for the Nigeria Police Force.'”
He recalled that on Thursday, October 26, 2023, the House of Representatives resolved to mandate the Ministry of Interior and Police Affairs to liaise with the Bureau for Public Enterprise to assess the value of all federal-owned police barracks across the country for the purpose of auctioning.
He recognized that the annual budgetary allocation for the construction of suitable housing accommodation for serving police officers has always been included in the annual appropriations since the establishment of the fund. It is on record that more than 5 billion Naira have been spent on barrack renovations from 2019 to date without any corresponding improvements.
He expressed concern that police officers and their families deserve conducive accommodation, as opposed to the current situation where they live in dilapidated structures only fit for lizards, reptiles, and bats due to large cracks and leaking roofs. The welfare of the gallant police officers has continued to deteriorate, making it imperative to revisit the matter of police housing.
He noted that in recent times, online news platforms have been inundated with stories of former IGPs, some officers of the Nigeria Police Mortgage Bank, and an estate developer, Messrs. Copran International Limited, being in the Federal High Court Abuja on allegations of illegal sales of property designated for police barracks across the country.
He also pointed out that following directives by a former IGP for police officers to vacate 25 police barracks in Lagos state for renovation or reconstruction, hundreds of thousands of serving police officers and their families have been displaced due to inadequate arrangements to prevent the humanitarian, psychological, or traumatic consequences of large human displacements, not forgetting the security implications.
He raised concerns that considering the high cost of rent and the general cost of living caused by high inflation and other economic factors in the nation, crime rates and general insecurity have increased astronomically. He argued that the timing for implementing the policy, however well-intentioned, is wrong.
He further expressed worries that rather than focusing on providing security for the lives and property of Nigerian citizens, police officers are faced with threats to their personal security as they have to settle the issue of displacement and provide safe accommodation for their family members. This, he noted, has implications for internal security.
He cited similar directives in the past affecting barracks in Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Officers Quarters Ikeja - GRA, Officers Mess at Zone 2, Onikan, and the DIGs quarters in Maitama, Abuja, which have been vacated for over two years without the said renovation or reconstruction work being done, nor reallocation to the affected police officers. This, he stated, has led to growing fear and distrust that the directive is just another plot to sell off the property without considering the plight of police personnel.
He concluded that continuing with the proposed policy may have dire consequences on the morale and psyche of affected personnel, as well as the security of lives and property of people living in Nigeria. This makes it imperative to urgently act to rebuild the lost confidence and trust of police personnel in the process of proposed renovation or reconstruction of police barracks by acting humanely.
The planned eviction of millions of police personnel from their barracks for the purpose of renovation and reconstruction or remodeling under any Public-Private Partnership should be suspended forthwith pending investigation into previous attempts to implement such a policy by former IGPs.
The House Committee on Police Affairs is mandated to review the report of the Ad-Hoc Committee constituted in October 2023 to produce a comprehensive addendum to the Police Reform Bill. This should be done with a view to advising on the best strategy for implementing the policy, preventing the rendering of police officers and their families as internally displaced persons, and addressing its attendant implications, considering the cholera outbreak in some states affected by the policy and the economic hardship being experienced throughout the country.
The House Committee on Police Affairs and Legislative Compliance is mandated to ensure compliance and report within four weeks for further legislative action.
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