Inadequate budgetary provision may scuttle police recruitment exercise — Okiro

AGENE GODWIN, Benin

Lack of adequate budgetary provision may force the Police Service Commission to defer the recruitment of 10, 000 men to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari till 2016.

Former Inspector-General of Police and Chairman of the Commission Sir Mike Okiro, stated this weekend, in Benin City at the commissioning of the renovated Ivbiotor Police station.

He also said that ‎the rehabilitation of Police Barracks and Stations across the country may precede the recruitment exercise.

According to him “We have not started yet…Police stations have been desolate for five years and before we recruits we need to make provisions to train them, pay them salaries and allowances. This was not captured in this year’s budget; hopefully by next year we will begin the process”.

Okiro commended Deacon Festus Idjoko‎, whose firm Whosco Ventures Limited undertook the renovation of the Ivbiotor Police station said, “Deacon Festus Idjoko‎ has done what people should do-he calls it corporate social responsibility- I call it National responsibility. We cannot sit down and shout, condemn and vilify the Police by doing nothing to assist it to do better”.

He said what Idjoko has done through his company, Whosco Ventures Limited‎ is worthy of emulation as, “he did not only see the environment in which the police work, he felt he could make it better for the Police to work better. Other companies and individuals should emulate this gesture”.

On his part, Deacon Idjoko said the gesture which included the regrassing of the parade ground, landscaping, replacement of window louvres with aluminum profiles, ceiling boards with PVC and tiles on the floors, provision of Air conditioners in the charge room and other offices, gasoline generator, Plasma TV and satellite subscription for one year, was part of the Corporate Social responsibility, CSR of his firm for 2014‎.

He said that that the gesture is a clear reflection of his organization’s sincere desire to give back to the society, adding that Whosco Ventures Limited, the private company, registered since 2000, would undertake the cost of routine maintenance of the facilities at the station for one year , in the hope that the Police authorities would take over subsequently.

Edo state Police Commissioner Mr Chris Ezike at the event said the ‘new’ Police station reflects a paradigm shift in community Policing because whereas the Ivbiotor ‎community provided the plot of land on which it stands, Deacon Idjoko, a good citizen has rehabilitated it so that the Police can work with passion, commitment and dedication in a conducive environment.