Rt Honorable Kwamoti La’ori, member house of representative representing Demsa/Numan/Lamurde federal consitutincy 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.
The member who was speaking on the floor of the chamber said, “it’s more than 5 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 24th June, 2019, to operate for 6 years from its commencement date, meaning the law has one year remaining to expire;
Also notes that 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, 26th October, 2023 the House of Representatives on similar matter 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;
Recognize that annual budgetary allocation for the construction of befitting Housing Accommodation for serving police officers is always being captured in the annual appropriations since the establishment of the fund, it is on record that more than 5 Billion Naira have been spent on renovation of barracks from 2019 to date without any corresponding;
Cognizant that Police officers and their families deserve conducive accommodation as against the current situation where they lived in dilapidated structures only fit for lizards and reptiles and bat due to large cracks and leaking roofs. The welfare of the gallant police officers has continue to deteriorate making it imperative for the matter of police housing to be revisited.
Aware that in recent time, 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 have been in the Federal High Court Abuja on allegations bordering illegal sales of property designated for police barracks across the country;
Also aware that following the directives by a former IGP for police officers to vacate 25 police barracks in Lagos state for the purpose of renovation or reconstruction has forced the displacement of hundreds of thousands of serving police officers and their families due to inadequate arrangements to prevent the humanitarian, psychological or trauma that comes with large human displacements not forgetting the security consequence;
Worried that considering the high cost of rent and general cost of living caused by high inflation and other economic factors in the nation, crime rate and general insecurity has increased astronomically, the timing for implementing the policy however well-intention is wrong.
Furthered worried that rather than our gallant police officers to focus on providing security of lives and property of the Nigerian citizens, they are faced with threat to their personal security as they have to settle the issue of displacement and providing a safe accommodation for their family members and this also is not without implication on the internal security;
Concerned that 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 has been vacated for over two years without the said renovation or reconstruction work done not to talk of reallocation to the affected police officers thus there’s growing fear and distrust that the directive is just another plot to sale off the property not minding the plight of police personnel;
Disturbed 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 makes it imperative to urgently act to rebuild the loss 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 be suspended forthwith pending investigation into previous attempts to implement such policy by former IGPs;
Mandate the House Committee on Police Affairs to review the report of the Ad- Hoc Committee mandated to produce a comprehensive addendum to Police Reform Bill constituted in October, 2023. As well as previous resolution of the House on the subject matter with the view to advise on the best strategy for implementing the policy, prevent rendering police officers and their families as internally displaced persons and its attendant implications, considering the cholera outbreak in some states affected by the policy and the economic hardship being experienced throughout the country;
Mandate House Committee on Police Affairs and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance and report within four weeks for further legislative action.
From Muh’d Shafi’u Saleh
