Delta state police release statement over alleged 5,000KVA plant scam in Delta

Below is a rejoinder from the Delta State Police Command in regards to a Sahara Reporters report with caption -'Delta state Police Commissioner Usman Baba Alkali is embroiled in a scam involving a 5000 KVA Mikano Power-Generating Plant'

The attention of Delta State Police Command has been drawn to an online publication of June 07, 2016 by the Sahara Reporters, New york with the above caption, and wishes to state unequivocally that the said report is false, malicious and a calculated attempt to tarnish the good image, integrity and impeccable character of the Commissioner of Police, CP. Alkali Baba Usman, psc (+) fdc.

2. To put the facts straight, the Command never at any time had 5000KVA MIKANO generator mounted at the State Headquarters, Asaba since it moved to the present site in 2001. However, the Command would like to intimate the reading public that a Perking 250KVA donated to the Police Command by James Ibori led administration in 2001 started malfunctioning and all efforts made by immediate past Commissioner of Police to fix the generator was to no avail as it finally packed up in 2014. Equally, there is no Ten (10) million naira monthly security vote meant for maintenance, being collected or made available by Delta State government to the office Commissioner of Police.

3. The Force Headquarters Purchasing and Tenders Board in line with the provisions of the relevant section of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 requested for the list of unserviceable items from the command and in its meeting held on Wednesday, 20th January, 2016 approved the disposal by public auction of Perking 250KVA among other unserviceable items in the command after theBoard of Survey and Enquiry constituted for that purpose had done physical inspection.

4. The public auction for Delta State Command was conducted on 23/02/2016 under the supervision of the Department of Logistics and Supply, Force Headquarters Board of Survey and Enquiry at Asaba. The Commissioner of Police, Delta State command, CP. Alkali Baba Usman did not benefit from the public auction either directly or by proxy. Thus, the suggestion by Sahara Reporters that the generator was looted or stolen by CP. Alkali Baba Usman is mischievous and must be discountenanced by the members of the public.

5. Additionally, the Commissioner of Police though of Northern extraction has never given protection to criminal elements camouflaging asherdsmen. It is on record that the Commissioner of Police organised several townhall meetings in the state, during which he condemned the activities of criminal herdsmen and equally solicited for the cooperation of the communities with the police in ensuring that criminals elements masquerading as herdsmen in the state are apprehended and brought to justice.

6. Finally, postings/transfers is a routine in the Nigeria Police, thus the movement of the Commissioner of Police out of Delta Command is not connected to any of the misgivings published in Sahara Reporters website.The welfare of officers and men of the command received priority attention of CP. Alkali Baba Usman in line with the Inspector-General of Police welfare agenda for the Force.

7. The Command urges the public to disregard the said publications as malicious and a figment of the imagination of the authors which is aimed at bringingtheperson of CP. Alkali Baba Usman to public disrepute, while advising Sahara Reporters to always conduct investigative as against arm chair journalism.

DSP. CELESTINA KALU,
POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER,
DELTA STATE COMMAND.