Govt May Demolish Falomo Police Shopping Centre
By Augusta Omoruyi
LAGOS State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his visit to the Falomo Police Wives Association (FPWA) recently has urged the police wives to effect demolition of the shop they operate around the barrack.
The president of Falomo Police Wives Association (FPWA), Mrs Florence Oronsaye said the governor's directive caught the women by surprise.
"Governor Tinubu came to Falomo police barracks during the week, to inform FPWA to demolish the shopping centre or rebuild it to back the road side, which is not possible," she said.
The state government had started a programme to clear Lagos road and drains of obstruction and several buildings across the state deemed to be contributing to these have been marked for demolition.
Oronsanye traced the origin of the complex to a grant from ex-Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Coomasie. ''When the money was giving to us by the former IG, Ibrahim Coomasie, the stores were built to create job opportunity for the police wives, since we were told not to sell under the bridge," she said.
Mrs Taiwo Johnson, another member of the FPWA said the association joined hands with the Police Officers Wife Association (POWA) to build the shopping centre "because our present IG, Mr Tafa Balogun has warned us to stop trading under the bridge, which has been stopped. We only trade around our fence and gate as we have been instructed to do."
"Actually, we don't pay to the local government council," she said. "We only pay to the POWA at the secretariat. We pay N125, 050 yearly, but if they are asking us to pay to the council, then it is a different matter, but the governor is not saying so. Instead he wants us to demolish it, and he said that the shopping centre makes the road look ugly, which is not true, because it is the best thing that has ever happened to us so far."
Johnson said the call for demolition would affect the economy and well being of the police barrack.
"I don't know what business of his (Lagos State governor) is with an ordinary shopping centre. Instead of thinking of how to help in the renovation of the barracks, he only makes endless promises that the policemen deserve a conducive environment and he is not helping us with this. What if he decides to demolish it What will be our own fate"
The women are also uncomfortable with reports that the state government plans to build a reception hall along the waterside, which is behind the police barracks.
"That is where we put our garbage every weekend and the environmental workers help us to carry it away. If the governor decides to build, where do we put our dirt because they have asked us not to be putting it outside," Johnson said.
