From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The saying that security is everybody’s duty was proved to be true in Akokwa in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, when members of the community reconstructed the police divisional office building through communal effort.
The Akokwa Police Division, which now wears a new look was built in 1963 during the defunct Eastern Region. It was downgraded to a station in 1976 following the creation of Imo State and Ideato Local Government Area with the council’s headquarters at Urualla.
To put an icing on the cake, the community also provided a new patrol van for the new division to aid the officers in the performance of their duties of securing life and property. President-General of the Akokwa Nation, Chief Ngoka Paul Ndubuisi told Daily Sun:
“Security we all know is everyone’s concern, officers and men of the Nigeria Police are our friends, we ought to work in synergy with and provide them with enabling environment to discharge their onerous constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives and property.
“Akowka in its usual characteristics of being proactive has provided the Nigeria Police with all you are seeing today. We are ever ready to do more as we expect this place to be an Area Command headquarters in no distant time.”
Ngoka revealed that the community had also requested for the headquarters of the area command to be sited in the area as Akwu-Akokwa community had already donated a land for the purpose. He stressed that the request cannot be over-emphasized given the porous borders with communities in Anambra State, the presence of the Orie Akokwa daily market and banks in the area.
Speaking on behalf of the Akokwa clan, Eze Don Opuruzor (Ezeahurukwe 11), said that Akokwa was not only strategic, but also the economic hub of the entire Ideato as he thanked the police authorities for partnering with the people.
Also, the Chairman of Ideato North Council of Ndieze, Eze M.Ohia (Ezeudo VI of Uzii) noted that the return of the division was a good development, pointing out that the people of Akokwa have had a cordial relationship with the police.
Commissioner of Police, Mr Taiwo Lakanu, commended the Akokwa people for ensuring that the task of rebuilding the divisional police station was achieved. He noted that the Akokwa is situated in a strategic place as it shares boundaries with Anambra state and promised to provide the division with more officers:
“I will make sure that more police officers are posted to the division to enable them to cover the area effectively in terms of fighting and prevention of crimes within and the neighboring communities. I want to urge other communities to emulate the laudable example of the Akokwa community as their action is a typical example of good community police relations.”
He advised that the division be expanded and accommodation provided to ease the accommodation problems of officers that would be posted to the division.