CP Ochalla asks youths to join police to fight crimes

*Warns against early marriage

Commissioner of Police, Ant-Fraud Sections under the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Margret Agebe Ochalla, has pleaded with youths from Yache community of Cross River State to join the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other sister agencies to fight crimes in the society.

Ochalla also warned against early child marriage, saying that it has negative effects on the socio-economic development of the society.

The Commissioner made the call in Abuja during her Honour/Award as the first female Commissioner of Police from the community, organized by the Yache Community Development Association (YCDA).

She urged others, and stakeholders, to sensitize parents to enable them to see reasons why they should not send children to early marriage, and educate them to fight against domestic violence.

She also called on parents and other well-meaning Nigerians to make efforts to encourage upright and responsible citizens to apply for recruitment in the police force.

Ochalla said: “We have police recruitment; it comes up every year. Once or twice in a year, once they hear about this recruitment exercise, the eligible one among you should apply.

“There is no work in Nigeria today that is not good work as long as you are paid a salary to put food on your table. So, if you hear of any recruitment exercise, you should apply to fight against corruption and criminality”, she told them.

Adding: “No one knows better the character of its citizens than members of the community. Therefore, I encourage youths of good character to join the force. Those applying for the force should take the process seriously by preparing very well for the examination to give them the best possible chance of success.”

While lamenting the challenges of early marriage, she noted that early marriage in life boils down to the family. According to her, many times, one discovers that girls being forced into early marriage don’t actually want to go into the marriage but they are forced into the marriage because of a lot of factors.

“Maybe the parents cannot afford to train the child further in education. So, the poverty level is a big factor that is pushing parents to send their children into early marriage, especially the girl child.”

Speaking on behalf of the women groups from the community, Mrs Regina Odene Teek, said that what a man can do, a woman can do better. She added that celebrating the first female Commissioner of Police from Yache was an indication that if one invests in girl child education, he will get the best out of her.

She said: “We are blessed to have you. You are a model to us, a leader per excellence, a Police officer with a difference, and the best of all the bests.

“We wish to advise here that knowing what the duty of a mother is, you should put in all your best more than what you have been doing, and you should not take your new responsibility for granted, knowing that to whom much is given, much is expected. We pray that the good Lord will give you more of His grace and strengthen you.”