IGP Laments Over Lack Of Proper Accommodation For Personnel

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, has lamented the accommodation problems faced by members of the Force.

According to the IGP, the NPF is facing a housing deficit with over 90 per cent of its personnel in barracks lacking proper accommodation.

He made this known while speaking at the quarter four 2021 public-private partnership units consultative (3PUCF) meeting organised by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) in Abuja.

The IGP was represented by Zanna Ibrahim, the Deputy Inspector-General (DIG), Logistics and Supply.

The Police Boss argued that a good living condition is important for optimal service delivery as housing is considered a fundamental physiological human need and the foundation on which to develop higher human motivation.

“It will surprise you to know that with a workforce of over 350,000 in staff strength, the NPF has less than 10 per cent of its personnel quartered in befitting barracks accommodation,” he said.

“The state of disrepair and integrity failure in our barracks needs no emphasis and we are really in dire need of befitting accommodation to enable us to tackle the art and act of policing the nation optimally.

“Suffice to add that there is an ongoing initiative to recruit 10,000 constables for the next six years annually, thereby increasing the housing needs for police officers,” he said.

Baba also said the force remained resolute in following due process based on extant laws in the pursuit of infrastructural development through PPP.

The IGP said the decay in police infrastructure, negative maintenance culture, years of neglect due to poor budgetary allocation, destruction of police facilities resulting from the #EndSARS protests, banditry, Boko Haram/IPOB activities are still being grappled with.

However, in spite of the challenges, the force is seeking better collaboration with critical stakeholders toward revamping, improving and sustaining a better security architecture for the nation, the IGP noted.

His comments come days after the federal government launched the portal for the sale of houses completed under its National Housing Programme, NHP.

The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who launched the portal, said the houses were in one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and duplex categories.