There is a myth, a common one, that the police is not your friend. The long history of the Nigeria Police Force has been that of an all-important public institution that hardly has good story to tell. Beginning from the medieval times, policing is the responsibility of all adults in any community. Most countries of the world that have achieved the fewest crime record did so largely because of citizens’ participation, something that is virtually non-existent in Nigeria, in spite of abundance of police-community relations committees.
As the leader of the Nigerian Police population of 371,800, the headaches of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr Solomon Arase, are essentially two-fold, namely, expected institutional distractions, and certain entrenched public perception that will, no matter his efforts, dog his strides in rebuilding a new police force for the country.
As is commonly known, the United Nations recommended ratio of policeman to citizens is 1 to 400. As things stand now, the ratio in Nigeria is 1 to 300,000. Coupled with age-long high-stake corruption in all sectors of Nigerian life, including the police force, as well as mutual suspicion between the police and the citizenry, which has made citizens participation in policing the society almost non-existent, the fact is clearly out that without the change-mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari, and the current efforts of the incumbent Inspector-General , the police as an institution, will have recorded more failures in discharging its constitutional mandate.
I believe though, that the change chants that we hear daily, should be deliberately taken out of the political theatre, so as to be able to make a more holistic sense of how Nigerians can help government and its institutions to do the right thing. The Nigeria Police is one critical national institution that could do more, were we to encourage and support it.
Days ago, a young relation of mine called my attention to a BBC Hausa Service broadcast, which alleged that police personnel reportedly complained about the manner the police boss handled recent staff promotions.
As a private, though keen citizen from the outside, I thought that for some of us who saw and experienced how democracy could be abused and made to work against the people big time, in recent memories, it is necessary to quickly call for caution. And more so, for some of us who invested our hope, aspirations, dreams and future in the project of a greater, better Nigeria, we would counsel against political distraction of any form, especially at this time when the government and the police high command are making clear efforts to have for Nigeria a brand new, re-oriented police force.
For change as a national project, seven months after, many people have already begun to ask to know where and how the change has happened. It is their right; but I will recount a short story of a recent personal experience about the evolving change.
A friend had to leave Abuja, where he resides, for Calabar in Cross River State, on December 24, 2015. From what he told me, it took more than five hours to get to Lokoja, from Abuja, because of the congested highway; so that it was already night fall by the time he got to Enugu.
What stood out for him, as he said, was that at every lonely stretch and forested points, all the way that night, he met armed Nigerian policemen on duty. In his words, ‘they would merely ask me where I was coming from, and where I was going, and waved me on.’ Though it still happens, the era of policemen coercing or openly begging for tips is gradually dying.
According to this friend of mine, it was same remarkable pleasant experience up to the Calabar City gate which he arrived in the early morning of December 25, 2015, where he was greeted by policemen still on duty. They asked him a few necessary questions and welcomed him. That, for me is a refreshing but powerful tale to tell about the real possibilities of reinventing our critical national institutions. It is also a real sign of change that we were denied of, these long years.
It is certainly not enough to trumpet the usual that a society deserves the police it has; or that the police, as a social institution is a mirror of the larger society. This is certainly not the right argument, as our police force, as their counterparts all over the world do, needs help and not raw, naked politicking. The police can be made to work in the service of the Nigerian public, and it will be wrong to impute tribal or religious motives to its strategic actions and plans. Not even in our minds shall we have a police force strictly serving only Muslims or Christians; Southerners or Northerners.
Its personnel ought to be well trained, well accommodated, well remunerated, well kitted; inspired and encouraged to deliver. That is the way to go; and I think that the recent brave efforts to turn around and re-orientate the Nigeria Police should be supported and encouraged. The few instances of their public demonstration of some social grace and new level of self-comportment on our highways, street corners and at their duty posts, and above all things, the prompt attention given to reported instances of police misconduct by its management, all deserve even our momentary applause.
The recently established Crime Reporting Unit, the official order that police officers should not illegally access citizens’ telephones, as well as the recalibration of the Force’s training orientation are clear efforts by the IG to, not only civilianize the police and make it pro-people, but also to make them respectable and worthy of the uniform they wear. This, in the long run, is what will draw the public closer to that long troubled institution, so that many will come to appreciate their efforts and equally understand the challenges and headaches they face, as well as partner with them to defeat crime or at least reduce it to the barest minimum.
About those who may not want Mr Arase to forge on, I personally think that given the vexed public image of the recent past, of course, such individuals will be legion. But one can easily relate this resistance to what President Buhari is confronting in terms of the amount of devious machinations thrown on his path
This country is at a very critical juncture of its political, social, economic and spiritual journey, and all of us must learn to make difficult choices to rise above the temptation of seeing the dynamics of this journey in religious, regional, ethnic and cultural colours.
Once that step was conclusively taken, it is to be expected that all Nigerians, including our compatriots in uniform, would lend their support to the government, by supporting policies and institutions of the state, as well as their heads and leaders, to serve us.
The Nigeria Police, in this respect, is very important and strategic to every effort to address the current security problems in the country. And for me personally, I am interested in watching the reshaping of state organs such as the Nigeria Customs, the Police, EFCC, ICPC, the Immigration Service, etc. These, I think, are the critical frontline agencies that will help the President to drive his change agenda.
For the Nigeria Police particularly, I believe all eyes would be on its leadership, the officer cadre as well as the rank and file, for the obvious reasons we are very familiar with. But I should at this point, say that for a long while, Nigeria has not seen a Nigerian Police chief who would appear ordinarily familiar, and sound even cerebral and practical in his public statements; as the current leadership of the police force. I believe this is a good development we should encourage and consolidate.
Without the required institutional support and encouragement, as well as Nigeria-wide understanding and appreciation, even the most solomonic of wisdom will do very little, or nothing at all. The present state where policing one square mile will require five policemen walking on foot (as is often the case) should change with one policeman covering same in a car.
— Mohammed wrote from Kano
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