A new window for State Police
When opinions are formed on a national issue, often times those in opposition that have perceived negative thinking could undermine and derail such progressive opinions.
This is the situation on ground concerning the issue about the soon-to-be-implemented state police. Before now, elites like former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, former military president, lbrahim Babangida and many others had openly advocated for the introduction of state police in the country.
Listening to opponents of this noble idea, all they hold onto as their major arguement is the fear of our sitting governors hijacking the system just as they did with the local government administration. ln as much as one can partially agree with them, one believes that since this is a security matter, no one would allow them the will to hijack the system for their political interest or gain.
With the recent pronouncement and backing of the vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo who spoke extensively on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari disclosing that the federal government is ready to implement the first step of the state police. The question is, what is state police all about? Simply explained, it is the system whereby states are allowed to be fully in charge of the administration of justice and policing in the state. In the case of Nigeria, it will mean that we are transiting from national or centralized policing system to territorial, provincial or state policing system.
According to Wikipedia, “the South African Police (SAP) was the national police force and law enforcement agency in South Africa from 1913 to 1994; it was the de facto police force in the territory of South West Africa (Namibia) from 1939 to 1981. After South Africa’s transition to democracy in 1994, the SAP was re-organised into the South African Police Service”. This, l believe, is the type of restructuring that the government wants to carry out in Nigeria. Many believe that the country is not ripe for such move as they point at the murky waters of Nigeria politics where state governors who have almost exterminated the local government structure , can also tamper with this system.
So, handing such powerful tool into their hands would mean over empowering them politically.
In all the countries of the world where state police is practiced, are there no politicians in those countries? Is the law not there to regulate such excesses? There is no good policy that would not have its teething problem. It is commendable that the Buhari administration has embraced this policy and is ready to implement it. However, one will be quick to advise that there should be restraint and there should be no need to rush its implementation. Such a noble policy should carried the legislative arm of government along and it should be carried out in stages. It will be better to see it being implemented first in Abuja, before Lagos, Rives, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano and Borno states as study cases. These seven states are to be the implementation states and should there be any noticeable errors, these could be rectified and corrected in the second stage of implementation. Through this system, the face of policing and administration of justice will not only change but would efficiently be improved. The benefits of state police are far more noticeable than the unnoticed flaws as feared by critics of the system.
When you travel to your home state as a security writer or personnel, all you expect is perfection in every compartment of security especially policing and the administration of justice.
Many would have wanted me to visited when the strange Python was seen dancing naked and shedding its skin along the streets of Umuahia. Many would also have expected me to be around when the voice of the indigenous People of Biafra (lPOB) was resonating in all parts of the state. When youths of Abia state were recruited and brainwashed to fight for the emancipation and rebirth of Biafra.
These youths see an utopian country but failed to understand that the energy they are waiting on this venture would have been better programmed to salvage the country Nigeria.
Unfortunately, their clamor and agitation were later mistakenly labeled as that of a terrorist group. l would have been in Abia state but duty call saw me in the real state that harbors the real terrorists. All those are now history. l drove into a state where the faces of both the military and police have become a regular feature as they hold sway along the high ways.
Impressively though, , the mobile police and military personnel l came across along the roads exhibited one thing and that is constant supervision by their superior.
l was later made to understand that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Anthony Michael Oguisi, usually disguises as mere passenger to check the policemen posted to check points in the state. No wonder one policeman, who pleaded anonymity, told this writer: “Oga, please don’t put me into trouble!” l had asked my driver to offer the police sergeant a gift of just N500. Seeing how he waved us to continue our journey and uttered those words. Thank God I am witnessing this scenario in God’s own state (Matthew 1:7 (KJV)
* (To be continued)
Security tip:
Don’t ask your child to switch on or off any electric appliance without a foot-wear.
Ensure that all the electrical appliances in the house or business premises are off when not in use.
When there is an electric shock, avoid watery surrounding