ADVOCATE “STATE POLICE” IN NIGERIA - ADVOCATE “NIGERIA DISINTIGRATION”
Often times during conversation about the state of the
nation among friends and family either physically or through social media
interaction, there is common statement that most times come up in the air; “Who
do we really offended in this country”. Ideally, this is the kind of words you hear and you laugh it off but
imperatively, the recent debate on whether Nigeria should establish “State
Police” in order to confront the challenge of the Nation insecurity made me to
realized that the statement might sound funny in hearing or reading, but the statement
seems to be true. Maybe we offended our Ancestors.
Severally, I
keep letting people know that Nigeria is experiencing a real deficit in good
leadership. By these I mean Leaders that lack: proper planning, developmental
skill to Nation growth and low problem-solving capacity (or nothing at all)
etc. and you know what! The situation like these has always proved me right. It
is a clear indication that our Leaders are out there on just how they wanted to
embezzle National fund instead of facing the reality on ground.
This is my
view:
As far as Nigeria is concerned, in ter
ms of idea on how to
move the nation forward, I think we should be open to all views while we scrutinize
those ideas as to how it has to fit-in solving our problems while considering
our peculiarity. This is how expected our Leaders to operate and introspect.
But unfortunately, our Leader’s conclusions and agreements always reflect to
two things as their driving force: Power
and Personal Gain. In one word, Aggrandize!
In my Opinion:
What we call “Preparation” is a very great and formidable task
in any national projects and schemes (regardless of its weight) and everyday
acceptance. Do you know how many hours of preparation for an athlete to be on a
show of a few seconds 100M track? The athlete analogy is an overall instance that
corroborate my opinion here. The idea of let’s start somewhere, anywhere is
what knelt Nigeria economy today. It was lack of planning that daunted removal Subsidy
on Petroleum Product and Parallel of exchange rate. Both Policies are good but
lack of planning and preparation led us where we are today. When is our Leaders
are going to stop using trial and error in Governance? When are they going to
stop risking citizens life in experimentation without acknowledging the
outcome? When are we going to think more of the masses rather than our personal
aggrandize, because the masses are always at the receiving end any bad
governance?
On the State Police:
Every system needs to be designed with structure inputs and
expected outcomes. This expression is more of my engineering background but
still relevant in every system in operation, including Governance. To the best
of my knowledge, we don’t need AI to tell us what we can do, when to do it and
how we do it. How we embarked on project like “State Policing” need to be study
like the scavengers studying their Prey. I mean every T’s must be crossed,
every I’s must be dotted, the precision must be accurate and all checklist must
be marked. You can ask me why these details? And will tell you it is Nigeria Fragility at
the moment.
Are we ready for it? As for me NO! We are yet to handle such
gigantic Scheme in Nigeria. Some may say Yes, i won’t budge but I would
understand the “Yes” is coming from a typical myopic Nigerians who values nothing
like Mental State (Maturity), Time, Resources and Life (Soul) of another
citizens.
There many points to raise that will definitely not giving
State Police in any positive outcome when established but I will based my
explanations on these four points mentioned above.
MENTAL STATE (Maturity): Nigerians mental state rarely allow
establishment of State Police, it can be liking to a Husband who is not ready
or prepare for his wife becoming a Millionaire, once a wife became rich
virtually such union is threatening for separation, not because of anything but
because of Ego. Literarily, every Nigeria is wrap in the cloth of Ego. The Ego
thing is also at degree with different ethnic group in Nigeria, I won’t mention
to what degree to each major ethnic. But I can explain this pragmatically...
Have you witnessed, a Lastman officer and Police fighting for something they
can easily resolved? What of Police and Army, Navy&Police, VIO and Air
Force, DSS& Warden?
We are in Nigeria, we
know all these things happened in public place, to the extent that such fracas claims
lives. If you think such things happened once in a while, I will tell you, you never
know which that will rise to the climax of Nation disintegration. You might not
agree with me; That is fine. I just want you to look deeply to what gave rise
to “Arab Spring” in 2010, what brought “I can’t breathe” to the world in 2014,
and our own local experience of “End SARS” in Oct, 2020. Can you guess why we
are having those fracases among our uniform men? It was fuelled by Ego; Ego we
all carry, lack of clear responsibility for the men in uniform, most of these
uniform men can't pinpoint their roles in the society (You see police asking
for Vehicle Licence), lack of dignity and lack of discipline (due to
corruption)
TIME: Can anyone guess what we lost or how much we lost as a
Nation during “END SARS” protest in 2020? Whatever what that lack of maturity ever causes, there's going to be obstruction
to mundane activities of common man, traffic, gridlock, higher price in
transportation etc. we can't guess how many human hours or days that can be
lost and wasted. Unfortunately in Nigeria ( "Na destiny" will be the
result and I don't argue that) but in a serious country that values human hour,
wasting 30mins can lead to waste of a lot of money and others (resources).
(Below statements on
RESOURCES are Allegedly)
RESOURCES: Have you ever been to Police Station to complain
or to bail someone out before? Okay, let me tell you! You will pay for the
foolscap paper to write your report, you
will pay for transport if you want to do arrest, you will pay when you are
about to leave the police station. Same go goes to the accuse. How much you are paying varies
based on Status of Crime committed and different Police stations. Am I wrong?
(allegedly). That is the system you want to build another critical and sensitive
system upon. Lack of the right facilities for the existing Federal Police and
you think the State own would be better? I laugh. Let me tell you our Potential
Recruits to the State Police; Thugs and Hoodlum, The vigilantes like the Katsina own (that were shown on viral video) riding
on bike with sophisticated weapon (a Police man was waving them though it was
later denied), the past OPCs, and all those extra-militias groups across the
six geopolitical zone. You know why they will recruit them? Because the Politian’s are using them and they
will still use them in uniform but this time around the Government will pay
their salaries. That is Dividends of Democracy! All resources plunge in to the scheme
like State Police of this class are the resources to disintegrate the Nation.
Lastly, do you think, State Police Establishment would come with
an empty Treasury, no! Believe me, the budgeted recurrent expenditure will be
affected. Even the most affluent State of the Nation would feel it unless if their
post would be under the Odan tree. Meanwhile, by the record and from past experience
from our Governors, much of the appropriated fund for the establishment of State
police will not be only diverted but swallow by the Frogs and Snake in the Government
house and no one can challenge them! COVID 19 Relieved Fund on my mind...
LIFE: You are aware of the recent extra judicial killing of
an innocent boy in Delta State by the Police, right? That event can unravel
many dark secrets to arms dealing syndicate in that state, if that boy wasn't
shot but thoroughly investigated. That's abuse of the training given or lack of
discipline or part of heavy corruption in the police protecting the gang. Having
the State Police established on a case like the Delta own, will not reduce
anything criminal but geometrically increase it. We lost many lives already; I don’t
want us to lose more…
The above are just few of deteriorated system you wanted to
build State Police into. I pray none of us or our family and friends be a
victim because no doubt, it's imminent. Our Leaders care little about us but
politicize everything to remain in power even loss of Life.
WAY FORWARD:
Please don’t quote me wrong, as far as Nigeria fragility is
concerned, The Project STATE POLICE is an Agathokakological scheme, like every
other policy executed in the past that plunge the nation into chaos. We shouldn’t
make same mistake again, otherwise and hence same result.
Part of the Preparedness and Preparation for the establishment
of State Police is to focus on the anomalies mentioned above (not limited to).
The existing System is rotten and ridden with Lack of Clear responsibility,
Lack of Discipline and no clear Mental State of the entire nation ridden with
Ego.
What I think to be way forward is nothing but to drop the
idea of establishment of State Police and focus on building the existing institution
to be corrupt free (ideal), Proper Training and Retraining for the existing Police,
Military and Paramilitary. They should be out there with clear goal, clear boundary
and open responsibilities so that in any conflict (which is bound to happen)
those points will be their guidelines to resolution of conflict and not till
when it will escalate to something we all didn’t pray for and without
intervention of superior authority. In such a situation Rule of Law must not be
undermined by all.
As for Time loss and wastage:
Every right sense citizen must be aware of the right value
of time. Knowing this will make everyone sit tight, will let us know that we
didn't have the right to delay the time of another and we can uphold our right
to sue the perpetrator of such an act. Even as a citizen we have the right to
the sue Government of the day, if a certain bad road is perpetually causing
delays on our transition to our business.
Have you witnessed, an incident where two vehicles burst
into each other and they started fighting on the road causing delays of other
road users, even police will stay right there with them judging? In such an
instant, both of them should be put aside and allow free flow of traffic, if
otherwise they should face wrath of law. Still rule of law!
Resources: The Government should assign enough resources to
execute a detailed feasibility study that focus on behavioural and mental
capability of the entire Nation before embarking on such scheme. What are our
University Dons and Graduates are doing? Those courses the most people are
rejecting have their expertise needed in such detail’s feasibility study. We
have sociologist, Philosophers, Psychologist and the likes, this is the area we
needed them for, we need to build our Nation and we have the right resources.
We can’t jump the gun; it is a process… The cost implication for the
establishment of State Police need to be studied too; what’s the scope what’s
our target which area are we targeting, what’s our priority like etc. Doing these,
we will know if the scheme is Implementable and Sustainable to the extent that State
recurrent expenditure won’t be sacrifice. Otherwise, the scheme would be like
uncompleted building that harbours criminals. Is there any rule of law needed
here? Yes, all appropriation must go through due process!
LIFE: Definitely with the right institutions, right use of
the rules of law and proper planning and preparation, we would have a solid
platform to birth our pregnant State Police.
Time frame: it depends on how responsive the people of the
Nation acknowledge thes fact! National Orientation Agency, has a major work
here. But on the flip side: if everything goes as planned 4 years!
Babatunde Kolawole (MNSE)
(+2348038193742)
babsozone@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/babatunde-kolawole-8120001a/
https://web.facebook.com/babsozone
https://babatunde1010.blogspot.com
https://artemisconsult.blogspot.com
https://web.facebook.com/artemisconsultingltd
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