Posted by By CHRISTOPHER OJI and JULIANA FRANCIS on
The Federal Government has approved a new salary structure for the police. The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sir Mike Okiro revealed this on Wednesday in Lagos while conducting an on the spot assessment of collapsed and dilapidated barracks at the Elere, Agege and Mopol 22 police barracks.
The Federal Government has approved a new salary structure for the police.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sir Mike Okiro revealed this on Wednesday in Lagos while conducting an on the spot assessment of collapsed and dilapidated barracks at the Elere, Agege and Mopol 22 police barracks.
He revealed that President Umaru Yar'Adua was concerned about police welfare and had therefore approved a new salary structure and welfare packages, which details he promised, would follow later.
According to him, Yar'Adua's administration was seriously interested in the welfare package of the police and had therefore approved most of the recommendations made by him towards police welfare.
Okiro, who decried the extent of damage at both barracks appealed to the men and officers still living in the quarters to immediately vacate the apartments to avoid loss of lives and properties.
His words: 'Your lives are precious to me. When we say vacate, do it immediately. Don't stay a minute longer."
Okiro promised that he was going to meet and discuss with the presidency over relocating them to Dodan Barracks.
While advising the affected policemen to move their families out, he added that policemen like most civil servants are entitled to about N5 million from the National Housing Fund. He promised to see how policemen can access the fund for building purpose, since it had become obvious that policemen can't build houses without assistance from the government.
The IGP further appealed to well meaning members of the public to accommodate policemen whose blocks are on the brink of collapse. He said their stay wouldn't be more than six months, which is approximately the length of time needed for renovation of the barracks.
He insisted that police problems should not be left to the government alone, but should be collective efforts since police protect the lives and properties of everybody.
Okiro, who said he sees nothing wrong with British police coming to reform the Nigeria police, added that it was natural for a child to go to his parents for advice.
'The British government were our colonial master. The Nigeria police was formed by them. So one should expect that if it want advice, one has to go to the parents. There's nothing the Nigeria police is going through that the British police had not gone through.
The British police was also reformed by a committee," said Okiro.
Speaking on the violence that had characterized most of the local government elections, Okiro revealed that he would soon read the riot act to politicians, explaining to them, the consequences of engaging in violence.
The police top boss, who said he would not disclose the priority of the police until the budget slated for police, materialized in cash, added that anti-terrorism policemen were already in training. 'They are going to be responding to terrorism and threat to security. In cases where robbery is escalating, they would be sent to such states.
Okiro later re-commissioned the newly renovated ultra-modern conference hall of the state headquarters and named it, 'the Mohammed Abubakar Conference hall.