Honourable Murphy Osaro Omoruyi of Labour Party, the member representing Egor/Ikpoba-okha Federal Constituency in Edo State has called for the auctioning of police barracks across the country to tackle the deplorable living conditions of officers.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance during the green chamber plenary session in Abuja. The law maker argued that one of the major issues of the Police Reformed Bill 2020, was to address the living conditions of the nation’s gallant police officers.
The lawmaker said that Since 16th September, 2020, when the former President, Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill into law, the problem of adequate and dignified accommodation for police officers have persists and had so far outlived all previous measures. And all efforts made to rehabilitate the barracks national wide has proved abortive.
He said, “Between 2019 – 2022 more than N5 billion was spent by the Federal Government on renovation of barracks.”
“Having officers of the Nigeria Police living amongst the general population, rather than in their secluded barracks will significantly satisfy these calls and enhance public safety,” he added.
Pioneering the debate before the house, he said there had been robust national debate and calls for more community oriented policing strategies. He was of the opinion that the method of housing police and local law enforcement officers, was a relic colonial practice that had since been abandoned by the colonialists.
Nigerian police officers and their families have been living in squalor characterised by large cracks on the wall, bat-infested houses, and leaking roofs among others. And lack of adequate welfare packages are partly responsible for the corruption in the service.
