Sapele Area Command: PCRC Chairman Clocks One Year In Office

By Daniel Dafe

The Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Sapele Area Command, Delta State, Comrade Oliver Eyefia, has marked one year in office.

Eyefia who spoke to Oasis Magazine (OM) during a phone conversation, said that the journey so far has been wonderful, but full of challenges.

His words: “We are the pioneer executive of this command and also into our tenure, the divisions in the command were increased to eight with the creation of Mosogar Police Division. These divisions cover a total of five local government areas. Before now, only Abraka, Isiokolo and Sapele divisions of the PCRC were active, but today we have made others active too.”

Speaking about challenges, he said some host communities are yet to embrace PCRC members very well because they consider them to be partners to the police. He added: “We have recorded some success in this regard because we have been able to re-orientate a few that the police force of today is a work in progress and far better in terms of service and conduct.”

Continuing, he disclosed that he has always told host communities to do all they can to see that their police divisions are up to standard because the DPOs and police officers will come and go, but the police stations will remain.

Furthermore, he disclosed that funds has also been a major issue, adding that this has hampered the easy mobility of PCRC executive members and the actualisation of having a befitting secretariat and hoped that the public would come to their aid.

In the areas of projects, he said his administration is working hard to see that the police in the Area Command move into their permanent office and not rely on Sapele division for office space.

According to him, with the intervention of the Orodje of Okpe through Seplat, the building project for the police office in the command is almost completed.

On what he intends to do before his tenure elapses, he said he is determined to build a multipurpose civic centre in the command that would be used for PCRC meetings and also programmes by other organizations.

He continued: “We also hope to get operational vehicles for the police with the support of government and well-meaning Nigerians helping to actualize this.

“Furthermore, we would embark on sensitization of the populace. In Nigeria we do not have the phone numbers of our DPOs. I also would be engaging in awareness campaigns to see that communities relate well with the police. Two committees have already been formed to actualise this. Before the end of May we hope to be on radio and television to use the programme to garner support for the police in the area command.

“I also hope that during the next one year that PCRC in the command would have more members so that the commitment by members will be much and contribution less.”

He commended Chief (Dr.) Edet EMO, SSA on Women Development for her support financially and in kind.

He was also full of praises for the Area Commander, saying that PCRC has unhindered access to him.

Responding to the call by Eku indigenes for the upgrade of the police station in the area to a division, he said: “It is not just having the structure. The issue is can the station be funded and what is the level of the commitment of the indigenes to the operation of the police station?”

He said: “Mosogar as a division is just six months old. But they have a well structured police station. Eku police station has to be fenced, especially since it is located at the outskirt of the town. Also, I am not sure they have a police officers’ quarter in Eku. I know that Eku has capable people to make this happen.

“Also, from records, they prefer going to the zone, state or area commands to report their issues. They seem not to have confidence in the division.”