Posted by By Gbenro Adesina /Ibadan on
Inspector-General of Police, Mike Mbama Okiro, yesterday, in Ibadan, Oyo state, snubbed journalists who wanted his comment on the increase in armed robbery attacks across the country, especially in Ibadan, which has become the robbers' playground.
Inspector-General of Police, Mike Mbama Okiro, yesterday, in Ibadan, Oyo state, snubbed journalists who wanted his comment on the increase in armed robbery attacks across the country, especially in Ibadan, which has become the robbers' playground.
Okiro was in Ibadan to commission the first phase of the Police Housing Scheme at Bota Village, Orita Challenge, which has 276 houses. Rather than speak about what his men are doing to stem the spate of robberies, the police boss kept mum.
As the journalists continued to pester him about his solution to the problem, he quickly moved toward his car with an intension of zooming off. But not before jokingly saying: 'We will provide security for this estate.'
He said he was hurrying back to Abuja and his car sped off, leaving the journalists utterly disappointed. Earlier, Okiro had said his desire to improve the welfare of the police is now coming to reality with the commissioning of the housing estate.
He said apart from the 276 houses commissioned in Ibadan, he has also commissioned 400 houses in Akure, Ondo state. His words: 'What you are seeing is an idea I generated when I came on board. This is the first phase, before the end of this year, we want to commission more of these houses and have more houses to live, in or out of service.'
He pointed out that the houses, which will cost intending buyers N4 million each, are affordable to the rank and file with their current salary, stressing that under the scheme, they would have over 20 years to pay for the houses.
'A constable can afford it because we have done it in such a way that it will be affordable to any police officer,' he added. P.M.News gathered that the project was sponsored by Federal Mortgage Bank (FMB). It was also gathered that the 276 houses were built at the cost of N960 million.
Also peaking at the commissioning, the Chairman of Tola Tos Construction Limited, Engineer Tola Ayerin, stated that the construction of 2-bedroom bungalows that could be expanded, was to be inhabited by policemen and civilians, to avoid a situation whereby the whole estate would be turned into another barracks, stressing that the IG has made it clear that the Police Housing Scheme nationwide should be on a ratio of 60:40, meaning police officers will constitute 60 per cent of the inhabitants, while interested civilians will make up the other 40 per cent.
He said the first phase of the project comprises of proposed designated areas for development of schools, health centres, post office, fire station, police post, place of worship, recreation centres, shopping mall, etc., to be fully developed as soon as possible.
According to him, industrial boreholes with treated water have been constructed to provide water for the whole estate, adding that a separate transformer has also been installed in the estate.
He said: 'I wish to specifically put on record the support of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, under the leadership of Abdulsalam Y. Ahmed and his management team, for the release of funds for this valuable project and to use his good office for the release of additional funds to enable us complete the other phases of this project to enable the beneficiaries take possession as soon as possible.'