By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Yenagua
BAYELSA: Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force in Bayelsa State on Friday embarked on cleaning exercise and free medical outreach for traders at the Swali market to celebrate the maiden National Police Day in the state.
The cleaning exercise which started from the headquarters of the state police command climaxed at the Swali market where the medical personnel from the force offered free medical services to the traders and other Nigerians living around the area.
Speaking during the flag-off of the exercise in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital on Friday, Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Alonyenu Francis Idu, urged the personnel of the force to be more committed in ensuring social harmony and security in the country.
He said the essence of the free medical outreach and cleaning exercise was to integrate and relate with the communities which have been the fulcrum of of the service.
He said: “The President and Commander-in-Chief generously approved April 7th as a national day to celebrate Nigeria Police for the sacrifices and investment it made to ensure national unity and cohesion, in the spirit of that, we need to integrate and relate with the communities which have been the fulcrum of our service.
“Today, what you are seeing here, we are interacting with the people of Swali, offer free medical outreach and clean the environment to enhance environmental health of the people, sanitation is ongoing, medical reviews are being done to further integrate us with the people, I want to use to particularly thank the people of Bayelsa State, because for the past one year, the kind of partnership and support we received from them to ensure that the social harmony in place is not only credited to the police but the people.
“So, we come to relate with them, thank them, I’m sure we all know how Swali was before, and what Swali is now, we all work together with the people to ensure that we interact positively to govern our environment and bring in place the best of the template of the security governance of this environment.
“Men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force should reciprocate the gesture of the president and commander in chief for being the first to recognize the services the police give and the investments they make and sustain to ensure that social harmony prevails in Nigeria.
“In rendering our services, sacrifices have been made, as you aware policeman is a first in receiving end of the buffet of violence against society, so many have been killed, many are maimed, many are in very agonizing situation in the hospitals.” He said.
Some of the beneficiaries in the free medical outreach, including Mrs. Remember Agbara and Wameso Okoko, expressed their appreciation to the Police, saying it was first time of getting something free from the police.