Felix Ikem, Nsukka
As part of efforts to enhance security of life and property in Nsukka and its environs, an age grade has donated a building as police station to the Enugu State Police Command.
The Obinwanne Age Group made the donation recently at Umuabor Eha-Alumona, during their annual general congress.
Chairman of the group’s building committee, Chief Thomas Ugwudike, who spoke to Daily Sun during the inauguration of the project, said they started the building in 2004 following the approval of a police division there in 2003.
“We got an approval of the construction of this police station from Enugu State Police Command and immediately swung into action,” he said, disclosing that it cost them about N8 million.
Conducting our reporter round the building, he explained that “as you can see, we have two cell units here for both male and female. We also have four office rooms, two toilets for inmates and another two toilets for police officers. We equally have armoury in the building. We have spent a fortune in the construction of this police station.”
On what motivated them to embark on the project, Ugwudike, explained that, “It is with the determination to secure life and property that we decided to put up this structure. Secondly, the storey building, which currently houses the police division, has been in serious dilapidation. So, we have been rallying round to complete this building as fast as possible.”
In his speech on the occasion, national chairman of Obinwanne Age Group, Chief Marcel Obichukwu, said the association had come a long way in the development of the community.
He said: “This group has decided to take up this project because we know that we need the police division in our community. This place they are currently staying is in dilapidation. We are also aware that our scholarship scheme, which, by the grace of God, will kick off in 2022, is also on stream. All these things are huge capital projects that need fund for their successful execution.”
As laudable as the project was, the state police command surprisingly shunned the inauguration ceremony, a development that the chairman of the building committee blamed on the Divisional Police Officer of Umabor, Eha-Alumona, Superintendent Sunday Adepoju.
Ugwudike categorically accused the DPO of sabotaging the security efforts of the community.
He said, “Since we started this building, the DPO has not been happy with us. Though he is a member of the building committee, he has consistently continued to tell the state police commissioner that we have not done anything. Look at the building he said we have not done anything. The OC, Works, has come and recommended for some amendment in the building, which we did. The OC Works came again in December and saw what was going on and commended us. He gave the building a pass mark. But they chose to disappoint us even though members of my committee called the DPO today and he promised to come here today and commission this building.”
Continuing, Ugwudike stated that: “This building is supposed to be built by the government, not group or community. But we tasked ourselves to put up the building. Where they currently stay, since 2013, they don’t pay the rent. Even their officers stay in that building free of charge. So, where have we committed any crime by building this police station?”
However, when our reporter visited the Umabor police station to get the reaction of the DPO on the issue, he was said to have gone to Enugu for some official assignment, even as he declined comment when contacted on phone.