Recruitment of 10, 000 men into the Nigerian Police Force as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari may wait till 2016 due to inadequate budgetary provision.
Former Inspector-General of Police and Chairman of Police Service Commission(PSC), Sir Mike Okiro, announced this in Benin City at the weekend during the commissioning of the renovated Ivbiotor Police Station.
He said rehabilitation of Police barracks and stations across the country might precede the recruitment exercise.
“Police stations have been desolate for five years and before we recruit, 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,” he said.
The former police boss commended Deacon Festus Idjoko, whose firm, Whosco Ventures Limited, undertook the renovation of the Ivbiotor Police Station, adding “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.’
“What Idjoko has done through his company, 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,” Okiro added.
In his speech, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike said the ‘new’ Police station reflected a paradigm shift in community policing.
He said whereas the Ivbiotor community provided the plot of land on which the police station stands, Idjoko, a good citizen rehabilitated it so that the Police could work with passion, commitment and dedication in a conducive environment.
In his comment, Deacon Idjoko said the gesture was part of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of his firm for 2014.
He explained that the gesture was a clear reflection of his organisation’s sincere desire to give back to the society, adding that the company would undertake the cost of routine maintenance of the facilities at the station for one year.
