Agenda for the New Police Boss

Without prejudice to my opinion on the consistent violations of the constitutionally enshrined principle of federal character relating to high profile appointments made so far by President Muhammadu Buhari and without further prejudice to my belief that Nigeria is long overdue for the establishment of state and local policing institutions as obtained in developed clime, this piece will attempt to proffer a common assignment for Nigeria’s new police chief.

The Niger State -born police officer Alhaji Ibrahim Kpotum Idris has just resumed office as the acting Inspector General of Police. Although he has supposedly resumed in acting capacity, he has indeed read out his comprehensive blueprints as if he has already bagged the presidential and police council’s blessing and confirmation.

There’s no antecedent to show that an officer picked in acting capacity in that position has ever been overlooked in terms of confirmation after about six months. It is therefore safe to assume that he is the substantive Inspector General of Police.

As is common amongst newly appointed police IGs who are usually overwhelmed by the joyful atmospherics that beclouds their choice, Alhaji Idris has uploaded and off-loaded a trailer load of promises as some of his underlying objectives.

The summary of his pledges is that the police under him shall carry out policing duties as it is done in civilised democratic nations. Tall dream you may say, given our perennially notorious policing styles in over 50 years and if the saying that “old behaviours die hard” is to be considered, then we can as well say that this aspiration is difficult but not impossible to achieve.

For now suffice it to inform our new Inspector General of Police that most patriotic Nigerians have only but a single agenda for which if well implemented will restore people’s confidence in the police. The one point agenda is to restore DISCIPLINE amongst the ranks and file of the police.

Luckily, the new IG was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari who as the then military head of state in the early 1980’s gained reputation for introducing the war against indiscipline (WAI).

Let the police chief go back to the archives and read up how General Buhari (as he then was) and General Tunde Idiagbon (as he then was before his demise) jointly enforced strict disciplinary measures that effectively impacted on most Nigerians the disciplinary virtues of promptness to duty and the attitude of first come, first serve. The demon that has led to the generational degenera- tion of the Nigeria Police Force is gross indiscipline.

Corruption and inefficiency are the inevitable offspring of indiscipline. The police operatives and officers in Nigeria are phenomenally indiscipline.

Indiscipline amongst and within the policing institution in Nigeria was responsible for the growth of impunity, corruption, inefficiency, tribalism, nepotism, and other societal ills. All the ethical crimes bedevilling the Nigeria Police Force branched off from the systematic and systemic indiscipline in the police over the last five decades.

From the simple to the complex, it is apparent that indiscipline steers us in the face whenever a citizen encounters the police operatives in almost all cases. A simple observation of the level of sanitation of the various police stations and barracks will show any observer how dirty the Nigeria Police Force has become. Then to the complex issue of typical middle level officers offering bribes to their superiors to gain appointment and posting to juicy positions. Top level police officers lobby with material and financial inducements to staff of Nigeria Police Service Commission for promotions. Emmanuel Onwubiko, Human rights Writers Association of Nigeria