By Emeka Mamah

ABAKALIKI—There was  excitement in police barracks across Ebonyi State as Governor David Umahi, extended his administration’s empowerment programme to police officers wives in the state weekend.

Umahi made this known during Christmas party organized for the officers and men of the state police command in Abakaliki, the state capital.

Umahi

The governor also noted that his administration would not ask police officers on duty to join in his rice cultivation programme, but asked their wives to key into his women empowerment scheme in order to reduce over dependence on the salaries of their husbands.

“There is no way we can ask   police officers on duty to come and cultivate rice or go and do training for empowerment but we offer to partner their wives. “Your wives can actually hold your homes. They can make up for the differences in your wages if they   engage in our empowerment programme.

“We can agree on what and what your wives can be doing so that we can support them;   so that at the end of the day, they   can be one of the pillars of your respective homes.

“This, I believe will reduce financial challenges, friction and tension in your homes,” Umahi said.

Umahi stressed that the visit/party for the officers and men was to celebrate the Yuletide with them even as he commend the officers for their commitment in combating crimes in the state. He explained that his administration’s provision of social amenities for them in their barracks was because of their efforts in sustaining peace in the state.

Assuring that government would continue to cooperate and support them, Umahi, however, warned them against bullying or maltreating civilians in the course of their duties.

He further warned them against conduct likely to cause frictions with other security agencies, especially the Army in the state.

“It’s by our cooperation and commitment that we feel like doing everything for you and it is in your honour that we had to rehabilitate the roads and the drainage in your barracks. It is also in your honour that we have to put street lights here in your barracks.

“I appeal to you to employ dialogue in settling cases because you can settle cases at any level as officers and men. Do everything possible to increase your relationship with the civil society and other security agencies.

“There is the need for every man to fear God. If we unjustly undo people because they are poor, know that God is watching and waiting. Those helpless people have nobody but they have somebody that is greater than everybody,” he further said.

Umahi extolled the police command for ensuring that there were no clashes between herdsmen   and communities in the state but regretted that   the cattle rearers were reneging on an   agreement to keep their cows in one location. He added, “I want to appeal to the Commissioner of Police to call the herdsmen for a meeting.

There is so much cases of herdsmen. You’ve done extremely well and I have told the police headquarters of how you have been trying to solve the problem of herdsmen in the state. But it is like they are reneging on the agreement we made in this place and so, we have to call them back for us to review the agreement.”

The governor, who noted that the living environment of the policemen was not too healthy, immediately approved the release of fund for the relocation of septic tanks in the barracks.