Mr Sunday Ige is a former police officer, who has been bed-ridden for the past 21 years due to an accident he had while on an official duty. He has a spinal cord injury and one of his legs has been amputated as a result of the road accident. In this interview with PETER DADA, the ex-cop narrates his ordeal, particularly the Federal Government’s eviction served on him in his house at the Federal Housing Estate, Akure, Ondo State
Can you briefly tell us about yourself?
My name is Sunday Ige. I was born 57 years ago and I am a native of Ido-Ani in the Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State. I worked as a police officer before I was disengaged from service in 2006.
When did you join the police force?
I was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force in September 1991 and I passed out from the training school, Iperu.
Where did you serve while in the force?
After the police school training, I was posted to Ijero-Ekiti, Ekiti State and In 1993, I was mobilised to the Nigeria Mobile Police Force, Akure on January 16, 2001.
You said you were disengaged from the police force. What led to your disengagement?
While in service, I was posted for a special duty in Lagos and I was attached to the Itire Police Station and there on this particular day, I was on duty on a road where I was knocked down by a bus. As the bus knocked me down, a truck coming rode over my right leg. So when the accident occurred, I was rushed to the General Hospital, Ikeja and where there was no serious treatment. I was later moved to a private hospital. When my situation could not be handled at both the general and private hospitals in Lagos, I was moved to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife ( Osun State).
At Ife (OAUTH), my leg was amputated. After the leg had been amputated and the treatment on the leg was ongoing, it was discovered that I had spinal cord injury which has made standing and walking to be very difficult for me. I was discharged from OAUTH in November 2001. Since then I have been bed-ridden. I couldn’t do anything. I could not go to work as a police officer again nor do any other work. I think as a result of that, in 2006, on December 31 to be precise, I was disengaged and my salary was stopped by the police authority.
What was your rank when you were disengaged?
I was a corporal
While you were in the hospital, who paid your hospital bills?
My family and myself, we spent over N1m on the treatment. I paid with the little I had as well as with the assistance of my family and friends.
What role did the police authority play during the time, how much was given to you for the treatment?
I didn’t receive anything from the police, they didn’t even check on me at the hospital. It was when I was discharged that one of our commanders came to check on me in the house . Since then , I have not seen anything from the police?
After your disengagement, were you paid anything by the police?
Yes, in 2009, police authority paid me N225,000 as my gratuities with my pension paid at N5000 monthly, later it was increased to N8000 but with the new minimum wage, I now received N16,000 as monthly pension.
For the past 21 years, you are with your health condition, how have you been paying your bills and your feeding?
It has not been easy, but I thank God for the people around me, particularly some of my friends , they didn’t leave me alone with the condition they have been giving money to feed.
What about your house rent who is responsible?
That is where the problem is. This house is mine but the Federal Government through the office of the Implementation Committed of the White Paper on the Commission of Enquiry into the Alienation of Federal Government Landed Property of the Presidency, has issued me a quit notice because I have been unable to pay the balance of the money to purchase the house.
What happened?
In 2003, the house was allocated to me while I was in police service and in 2007, the Federal Ministry of Housing said that it wanted to dispose the houses (located at Federal Housing Estate, Akure) at the rate of N1,250,000 million and we were told to pay 10 per cent first. They gave priority to those of us that had been occupying the houses already, to buy them if we were interested. I picked up interest to buy the house since I had been living there and I paid the 10 per cent of the total sum. I paid N125,000, which is 10 per cent.
Where did you get the money to pay the 10 per cent since you were no more in the police?
I took the money from the N225,000 gratuity they paid me but since then, I have not been able to raise the balance because of my condition. Just last week, the ministry brought eviction letter that I should pack out of the house.
Were you given any deadline to pack out in the notice issued?
Yes, I was given two weeks starting from the date I received the letter and I received the letter two weeks ago and the deadline should be this week. So they can come at anytime now to enforce the order.
If you are evicted now, where will you go?
As I am now. If I’m evicted from this house, I have nowhere to go to. That is the end because of my condition. That is why I am begging the government and well meaning individuals to come to my aid for the sake of God, there is no where for me to go and there is no how I can raise the money (N1.250million balance). Like I said It is my friends that have been feeding me, buying my drugs and rendering other assistance for the past 21 years. People should please assist me. I have no parents, it because this my condition that my father and my mother passed away.
Are you married?
No, I had not got married before the accident happened but I have two children that I had before I joined the police.
Then who has been taking care of you all these while since you have no wife?
It has been my children that have been taking care of me since. One of them is around now while the second one has travel.
Have you contacted some of your friends and relatives to inform them of this development?
Yes, but nothing much has been coming from that end, we all understand the economic situation of the country and they are the ones that have been taking care of me since the crisis started. They are trying their best and I appreciate them.
Before the government finally brought the notice, did they inform you earlier of the step they were going to take against you?
No, that was the only time they brought the letter. ,,
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