6th November, 2020
By Afusat Agunbiade-Oladipo
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has called for a stronger and more viable policing system that prioritises the welfare of officers and men of the police.
AbdulRazaq made the call on Friday during a meeting with a delegation of the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), as part of his ongoing engagements with various stakeholders in the state.
The governor commended the president for acting fast to review the salary of policemen as part of his responses to the recent EndSARS protest.
“One of the lessons from the EndSARS and the subsequent events is that police is our first line of defence as a society.
“Police are the ones in the front and we need to take care of you as part of the police family.
“We cannot leave everything in the hands of the federal government. That is why I called this meeting on how to move forward. What has happened in other states, following the EndSARS protest, is unimaginable
“Some police officers were killed, police formations and installations were damaged or burnt in some cases, correctional centres were invaded and prisoners were released.
“We thank God we do not have such havoc in Kwara state. We appreciate the effort of the police and other security agencies in Kwara because the state is one of the safest in Nigeria,” the governor said.
Responding to some of the requests of the POWA delegation, AbdulRazaq said he would move quickly to solve the water crisis in their barracks.
“We will look into your requests immediately so that we can start seeing the benefits of this interface
“We will engage you more to know the exact locations to sink boreholes,” said the governor.
Earlier, Mrs Elizabeth Egbetokun, Chairperson of POWA and wife of the state Commissioner of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the governor for taking interest in the activities of the POWA.
She called for government’s support on the ongoing construction of a vocational training centre.
According to her, there are 15 police barracks in Kwara and six out of these are in Ilorin metropolis that needs boreholes.
“Kindly look into this, so that the police family can have potable water to drink,” she said.
NAN