By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA –A former presidential candidate of the defunct Nigeria Community Movement Party, NCMP, in the 2019 election, Comrade Ademola Babatunde, has called on the Federal Government to  prioritise the welfare of the Nigerian army and police officers especially those who have served the country for 15 to 20 years.

Babatunde in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, said the estate recovered through a court order against the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, by the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, should not be sold but be given to the officers.

He said: “in the wake of the transfer of assets made by the EFCC to the Minister of Housing based of the judgement in favour of FG against Emefiele, the federal government should look inwards and create a lasting  legacy using  this opportunity”. 

The former presidential candidate regretted that “so many serving Nigeria army officers and police officers are having serious challenges of accommodation”. 

He further recalled that “recently, the FCT Minister secured approval of FEC to build houses for justices of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. 

According to him, “In the same way, the federal government of Nigeria must prioritise the welfare of the Nigerian army officers and police officers especially those whom have served from 15 years to 20 years, the sized houses should be given to those officers, and those officers that lost their lives to insurgency and terrorism attacks.

“This will boost the morale of the patriotic officers fighting very hard to protect our lives and properties on a daily basis.

“It should be noted that many of these officers have their wives and children affected and are currently homeless. Many could not even afford to take good care of their families.

“The ministry of housing can create a unit to coordinate the housing allocation to these officers,  structure maintenance of it such that no superior officer will interfere or deprive the officers from benefiting from the allocation. 

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be remembered for this unique legacy. Every property seized should be used to structure housing projects for our men and women in uniform.

“The federal government should not encourage the sales of these properties in which the money will eventually not be accounted for.

“Avoid another strategic embezzlement by not selling the property”.