I hear many people say that members of the Nigeria Police force are incompetent. The police take a thrashing from the public even though the police have contributed so much effort in ensuring that the public peace is maintained in the country all the time.
Various Inspectors General of Police on resumption of duty go to the bully pulpit to dish out orders to show that they are in charge and mean well to bring sanity to the police. Same goes for the state commissioners of police. But as important as it is to wake up the members of that unit – so as to guarantee the wellbeing of their jurisdictions, words must be harmonized with the needed will to help care for our officers.
Governments at various levels care less about the welfare of the average police officer and dehumanize the police at any given opportunity. It might be argued that this clear abandonment is responsible for the seeming incompetence of the police. How can a force fight crime without a co-joined ideology with the central government, states and the people?
Despite our position in the world as an oil-producing country, police officers live in despicable holes call barracks. How do you expect first-rate policing when staff members of that unit live in rundown buildings, matter-of-fact they do not have habitable barracks when compared with other sister security agencies? It is alarming that Nigeria celebrates some private individuals more than her citizens and promotes serfdom.
This is an oft-repeated platitude because I am sure we are all aware that over one hundred and fifty thousand police officers are posted to the homes of private individuals to serve as security men, opening gates for politicians, ex-politicians and some non-nationals. The latter – fortunate to be given licenses to do business in Nigeria— have become nobles immediately.
We must take care of our police officers. We must boost their morale. This is important if they are going to protect us. This is no joke. We must also increase the number of policemen in the force and make their emoluments attractive and worth the risk they daily face.
Simon Abah,
Port Harcourt