SLEEPING ON DUTY.

I walked past a pickup truck this afternoon which was parked under the bridge at Jibowu. The hustle which went on outside this vehicle (one of the many handed over to the police by Governor Ambode after he took his oath of office) did not seem to disturb the two occupants of the vehicle. One policeman was in the passenger seat while another laid supine with his knees flexed in the back seat. Both men were apparently deep in sleep while on duty.

I actually felt very sorry for them and wondered what they and others like them go through on a daily basis to keep the inhabitants and citizens of Nigeria safe. I do not know the daily routine and schedule of the average cop in Nigeria but from what I have observed, both men probably share a service vehicle with at most two other men and would have to ride together all day without a decent break or handover. I do not think the living condition of these offices and their family members has improved dramatically despite 17 years of democracy. One can only wonder how uncomfortable their homes are and how exposed to the elements and communicable diseases they are. I doubt if these men are able to have the space and time to rest even in their own homes or whatever structure the force provides for them.

It is more than providing uniforms and inappropriate firearms for these men to carry out their duties; it should entail giving them real hope and the possibility of a future especially one for their family members peradventure they get maimed or lose their lives in service to the nation. It is my belief that this lack of clarity contributes in no small way to the decadence we have in the Nigerian police force today. It is a reason why they are unkempt and indulge in all sorts of vices just to get by. They have children who are in need of the basic essentials of life and spouses who need some ounces of peace in their lives. This is not to provide an excuse for erring cops but we cannot talk about fixing a problem if the right diagnosis is not arrived at.

The NPF appears to me as one stuck in time and without much use for the female gender. The structure is archaic and what we have is a rat race to climb up the tree to a point where juicy fruits abound at least. Where such fruits are scarce, the officers concerned get to scrounge for their own external supply to squeeze out whatever quantity of pulp they can. High ranking police officers have always played key roles in every administration in this country; such is the enormity of their responsibility but this valuation at the top ironically does not get reflected all the way down the command chain. The senior officers look like princes while their subordinates... well, that is better left to imagination. I can just imagine if or how officers jostle to get 'juicy' slots at embassies, airports, events or anywhere compensation gets handed out. While some get favors from their superiors, there will be those who will be permanently condemned to patrol duties irrespective of whether they get sufficient rest or not.

The only women I see regularly in the force rarely have weapons with them; this is not to suggest that the situation with the military is markedly different. They are usually deployed behind desks across diverse government establishments, as traffic wardens or at force headquarters where some really dashing ladies can be found. I know there is a female police commissioner in one of the Southeastern states and more than a handful of public relations officers but I believe the force can do more with respect to wooing really brilliant females even directly from our higher institutions. Should we consider police and military enlistment in place of the mandatory one year national service?

The need to urgently review the command structure of the force cannot be overemphasized. General Murtala Muhammed retired 94 top ranking police officers on the 18th of August 1975 in a bid to sanitize the system but his move also involved the strategic promotion of the older brother of Lt Col Bukar Dimka who eventually assasinated him. We should not deceive ourselves that the rise of President Buhari automatically translates to the demise of corruption in our structure as a nation. The police, military and civil service are corrupt while the citizenry have been fed from the milk of corruption. It will take time to effectively subdue this scourge and the incumbent administration has been reasonable by not crudely eliminating the police hierarchy like Murtala did however; it is important that the system which has ensured that officers who are very close to retirement become the inspector general of police needs to be reviewed. 

The force needs to be decentralized and state governments and regions should be empowered to take responsibility for security. The police should be regarded as an industry to attract the brightest Nigerian minds; this is 2016 and not the era of constables wearing shorts. To the people, let us assist this men and women in uniform. The guns they carry can bearly protect them to stay alive long enough to protect you. A kind word here and a good gesture there can go a long way in improving their psyche. These are some of the people our legislators ought to be advocating for instead of seeking immunity and life pensions for themselves. 

Before you hiss for MOPOL, remember say e fit be say na on top iron he sleep for night after him no see correct wackis chop. Be wise.

Police is your friend.