I have never been ashamed to say I am the son of a retired police officer, despite the fact that there are lots of reprobates in police force whose acts sometimes makes it a shame for anyone to identify with anything that has to do with the Nigerian police force....
We’ve always seen and heard of cases of irresponsibility and unruliness on the part of men and women of the police force, both in the rank file and at the top leadership positions, otherwise called superior officers.
There have been issues of accidental discharge, illegal extortion, outrageous demands for bail, unjustifiable arrests, and lots more. All these are various forms of recklessness are traceable to those with those in the rank and file – inferior officers.
While the superior officers, living up to flipside of their titles, indulge in higher and classier forms of recklessness. They extort money from their subordinates. If you must know, most of the roadblocks mounted by the younger officers are stirred, stimulated and inspired by the superior officers.
They equally divert government funds meant for the welfare of the men and women of the Nigerian police force. They also provide cover for the high-ups in society who are involved in various high-tech criminal activities, and loads of other wicked acts.
Mean while, these are people who are supposedly saddled with the responsibility of looking after the security needs of the Nigerian people.
The question I am quick to ask is not just why did government set-up the police force, but “why do people really join the police force?”
Recently, I got an insight that provided some answers to my curiosity.
Here is the gist: One of our contract staffs has relation who is a commercial motorbike rider. These guys (commercial bike riders) always have problems with the police. If they are not being held for issues regarding use of helmet, it would be ‘incorrect papers’ or working at ‘odd’ hours. My staff’s relative was not left out in this habitual nuisance.
The last straw that broke the camel’s back was when the guy was arrested by men of the Nigerian police force while he was working with his motorbike (popularly called Okada), actually this is his only means of livelihood.
He was arrested by the Police and dragged, along with his motorbike, to their station.
He was charged with some laughable offenses, and his bike detained. Expectedly, he was told to bail his bike? Nine thousand Naira (#9000)! For a guy who daily income is within the neighbourhood of #2,000, this was a lot of money. He managed to rally round to get the money, and finally paid ‘bailed’ his motor bike.
This sounds like this a fine for an offense! Whose responsibility is it to fine people for irresponsibility? Many questions, no answers!
The guy got home really infuriated and incensed. Guess what he did the following week?
He went to the State command of the Nigerian police force, which was at the time recruiting people, to take an application form – HE WANTS TO JOIN THE POLICE!
You don’t have to imagine much what kind of police officer this guy would be if he is eventually recruited. Terror re-defined!
This is just one case out of the very many we don’t know about. I find it easy to believe that majority of the folks in the police force entered with similar motives – TO BRUTALIZE AN D ENRICH THEMSELVES. Legalized armed robbery! In this case, it is done with uniforms and government vehicles.
While I refuse to believe that every police officer is corrupt, because I have seen a small number of men and women who have distinguished themselves in the force, such that after many years of retirement, people still seek them out to serve in various leadership positions that relates to security of lives and property and other areas. I am not in any way making reference to the ones who loot the police treasury and buy their way back to relevance!
My confidence to write this piece is partly because my mother is one of such distinguished ex-police officers. I am not trying to blow her trumpet; I have been inundated at different occasions with tales of how she conducted herself in service.
She’s been retired for about 6years now, but I still get to meet folks who upon hearing my name and knowing she’s my mother show me all kinds of favour. I hear from those who worked under her that she NEVER took bribe, and would walk you out of her office if you try to induce her with anything of such. She was a church minister/worker, so she had a name to protect. Despite the fact she was a single parent caring for 4 grown up adults who were all in expensive private secondary schools, she opted for doing odd-jobs, side by side her police work. She knew she would someday come out to face society, thus she did her extreme best to make and build a name for herself even though she was amongst ‘wolves’.
My call to every Nigerian in the Police Force is to be conscious of the future. Someday when you will be retired, will your current act allow you face society tomorrow? Do not think that the Nigeria or today will be the Nigeria of tomorrow where questionable characters buy their way to prominence. This mediocrity will not last for long; like a season, it will pass away.
I know of a retired senior police officer who was in the habit of extorting money from ‘anything’ while in office. Today, he is retired and can’t live up to the standard of life he lived in the police force, he lived no good name to rely on - he is now a fraudster – 419ner!
I am making a passionate appeal to the government of the day. Let’s stop deceiving our selves about issue that relate to the Nigerian Police. Isn’t it sad to note that a corporal in the Nigerian police force earns less than #10,000 monthly?
Will such a person pick up guns to face criminals? Never! If such a person is offered bribe of #80,000, why shouldn’t he take? There is nothing that boosts their moral in any way. We pay our judiciary very well so that they won’t subvert justice, leaving out the police. This is why the Police men and women are also subverting justice in their own little way. Some of them aid the release of armed robbers from detention cells; others ‘rent’ their arms to robbers to rob and all sorts of things.
We must put the issues of the police on the front burner. It must be handled with National importance. The likes of Tafa Balogun, Sunday Ehindero, Musiliu Smith and their likes failed the Nigerian Police. They got to the top position where they were supposed to influence things to work for the betterment of the Nigerian police. They wickedly enriched themselves and their cronies. Such men should NEVER be given national prominence; they should be left to rot in the bad names the built for themselves...
Every problem we postpone waits for us in the future. Such is the case of the Nigerian police force. Things had always been postponed and every new Inspector General promises heaven and earth, only to embezzle the treasury...
If nothing is urgently done, this madness will not stop. Criminals’ will equally continually gain recruitment into the force and reduce it to a national shame.
The government of Ya-ardua will be a disgrace to the nation if she doesn’t make significant steps in improving the welfare of the average police man and woman.
Changing their uniforms isn’t close to the way forward, working on the pay structure and welfare package is.
Truth must be said. Nigeria has the worst catered-for police force anywhere in the whole world. Their offices are nothing to envy, their cars are rickety, and their equipments are obsolete.
Excuse me! The way I see them, it is as if the structure never meant them to function well, at least for long.
Something must be done, both by private individuals and government. We all have a responsibility to do something about the shame that the Nigerian police has become. We can’t just leave everything to bodies like the immensely controversial Nigerian Police Equipment Foundation, crowded by politicians and self-seeking element.
A great man once s said: “a society that does nothing about the multitude of people in her society who are poor cannot guarantee the safety of the few who are rich...”
I rest my case.
No comments:
Post a Comment