Mpape, a boisterous town located on the hilly suburb of Abuja came alive recently, during the unveiling of a new- look police divisional headquarters for the residents. CHIKA OTUCHIKERE, captured the mood.
The residents came all out with dance, pomp and pageantry to celebrate with the police community in the neighbourhood, the reconstruction of the Police divisional headquarters. There was enough to eat, drink and be merry at the event, as the police community, the traditional head Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Gimba, his council members, subjects and residents could not hide their joy at this positive development.
Before now Mpape had been in the news for all the negative reasons. There was the controversy over demolition of the town, largely a shanty settlement made up of indigenes and settlers. There were rampart cases of raids on hideouts of armed robbery and drug gangs.
The new look police headquarters came as a pleasant surprise to the community. Most of the residents who attended the unveiling could not disguise their surprise. They said if for anything, the officers at the station would do their job in a conducive environment which, they said, would take away some of the frustration they express when dealing with cases.
They also averred that left to the government, the Mpape divisional police headquarters would have remained in its dilapidated condition. Julius Bergers Plc a construction giant, however, came to their rescue and built what some of them dubbed ‘state of the art’ police station for the officers.
According to a resident, Yahaya Abdul, who spoke with LEADERSHIP, prior to the reconstruction of the Mpape divisional Police station, the building which served as the headquarters station of the town could conveniently rank among the worst police stations anywhere in the country. He said the station presented the officers as a bunch of ruffians who were only doing the job only for what they could get. He averred that the new look station has presented the officers as responsible and diligent officers.
Yahaya said before now the Mpape police station was an eyesore to behold and that most people dreaded anything that would drag them to the station. Yahaya, a provision store vendor, particularly noted the cell room where suspects were kept, saying that some trained animals would have stubbornly declined to be kept there.
“Today, however, everything has changed thanks to Julius Berger, they have transformed the police station. Everybody is happy. You can see the police officers and the people. This place used to be terrible. The officers used to do their jobs with anger. Now we have one of the best police stations in the FCT” he said.
For the Divisional Police Officer, DPO of the Mpape Police station Mr. Ayobami Surajudeen it was a dream come true. He noted that one of his mottos was to leave a place better than you met it.? “On the 4th of February, 2012, I took over the leadership Mpape Police Station with dilapidated structures. After a few months of my assumption of office, I recommended the reconstruction of the station.
“First of all, I met with the management of Julius Berger Quarry under the leadership of Mr. Zamfir, the quarry manager. He saw to my appeal and then came with his team to the station. Without wasting time, the company came and removed the old structure and planted what you all are here to celebrate with us today.
The DPO who expressed gratitude to the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba and the AMAC area commander, ACP Sunday Odukoya for their support in ensuring the successful completion of the project appealed for more personnel and logistics equipment like patrol vehicles, communication gadgets.
The traditional ruler Alhaji Gimba also expressed joy saying that the project was long overdue. “I feel great because it is something we have been trying to put in place for a long time. And at the same time this company Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is well recognized in the society because of the lots of things they have been doing for us we appreciate them and urge them to keep up the good job. We also appeal to other companies benefitting from the town to contribute their quota to develop the place” he said.