Hajara Usman-Baba Moves To Ban Beer Parlours In Police Barracks

Hajia Hajara Usman Baba, President of the Police Officers
Wives Association and wife of the Inspector-General of
Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has decried the proliferation of
beer parlours in police barracks, describing it as a bad
influence on children and the future of Nigeria.
She stated that she would immediately send a signal to
the Force headquarters for the outright relocation of beer
parlours from police barracks, threatening that whoever
flouted the directive thereafter, would be ejected from the
barracks.
The POWA President was on a three-day working visit to
familiarise herself with POWA members in the state and
also to access the Police children school, to improve the
general standards.
She noted that beer parlours should be located at a given
distance from the barracks as stipulated by law.
Addressing POWA members at the POWA hall, Ikeja,
Hajara said, “During my inspection yesterday (Wednesday)
I saw a lot of beer parlours in barracks. I know it is you
people that encouraged such. You should try and speak to
your husbands to follow the rules and regulations of the
barracks.
“I grew up in the barracks because my father was a
policeman. Then, there was no beer parlour. And with the
future of our children in the barracks, we should be careful
because these children are more intelligent than us.
“We are going to send signals immediately, for the
relocation of the beer parlours. If you don’t keep to it, you
will be ejected out of the Barracks.”
She also lamented the dirty state of barracks in Lagos and
announced the commencement of environmental
sanitation, every Saturday. She informed that she would
personally take part in the next one, after taking a 30-
minute walk with POWA members, as part of activities to
mark her visit.
She said, “What I saw at the barracks was devastating.
The barracks were unkempt. It was very dirty. If there is no
sanitation nationwide, can’t you sanitise yourself, or don’t
we have barracks leaders? There is going to be sanitation
henceforth. It is going to be a continuous exercise until we
are retired.”
Noting that policemen had been demoralised due to
happenings in the country, she admonished POWA
members and other wives of policemen to be supportive
at this moment, by being submissive to their spouses,
adding that this was not the time to nag at home, as such
would go a long way to affect their husbands’ efficiency at
work.