The return of uniformed beggars

The removal of checkpoints drastically which reduced journey times, made sense because armed robbery on highways is no longer in vogue, The advent of bank ATM cards means that these days nobody, other than politicians, travels with large quantities of cash. Within days of Abuabakar’s retirement checkpoints have resurfaced with a vengeance, and uniformed officers […]

The removal of checkpoints drastically which reduced journey times, made sense because armed robbery on highways is no longer in vogue, The advent of bank ATM cards means that these days nobody, other than politicians, travels with large quantities of cash. Within days of Abuabakar’s retirement checkpoints have resurfaced with a vengeance, and uniformed officers are demeaning the force by literally begging for money with the excuse that they need to fuel the police vehicles, pay for medical treatment, or survive until they receive their salaries.  Frankly the new menace on our roads is no longer armed robbers, but armed uniformed beggars!  But can we really blame them? The abysmal working conditions of our police force are indefensible and there is really no reason we should expect our law enforcement officers to act responsibly and bravely in the fight against crime. Poor motivation in the Nigeria Police Force which adversely affects performance is legendary. The relationship between motivation and performance is one of the pillars of modern man management. Total organizational quality of the police force can only be improved by motivating officers to maintain, improve and indeed exceed standards.Although motivation is not a function of salary alone, it must be said that the salary structure and benefits accruing to law enforcement agents is disgraceful. If we really want an efficient and respectable police force we must give them a good working environment, effective working tools, a good and acceptable work plan, recognition for effort, and room for self-improvement. A careful examination of each of these factors as they relate to the Nigerian Police Force will reveal the depth of the problem the new acting IGP has to grapple with. The working environments for the Nigerian police are atrocious. The only difference between a bank and a police station should be that the latter has more and better equipment. Police stations should be modern air-conditioned environments with modern detention and sanitation facilities. Instead the average Nigerian police station is an outdated, poorly ventilated unsanitary structure, lacking electricity, and decent facilities. Such environments can never be considered conducive for motivating workers to excel and take pride in their jobs, especially when the job requires workers to risk their lives in performing their duties. Even worse than poor working environments perhaps the biggest “de-motivator” to police is the lack of effective working tools.  Police crime fighting techniques have not progressed beyond torturing suspects and extracting confessions. There is a scandalous shortage of electronic equipment, cameras to take pictures, computers to connect databases, scanners for fingerprinting, various radios and communication gadgets, functional patrol vehicles, helicopters, and armoured vehicles. Worse still despite the unacceptable numbers of police being killed weekly in the current wave of crime and terror, the force tragically cannot provide all policemen with “common” bullet proof vests, or even a simple piece of equipment like a walkie-talkie radio. Anyone who really expects them to stand and fight armed criminals without adequate protection and with no means of calling for effective backup and reinforcements is daydreaming. The constant transfer of police away from their localities is a policy that can’t possibly yield good results. The fight against crime can only be won by good local intelligence services, and policemen who know the area, know the people and who themselves are known to the people.
An effective law enforcement officer cannot be a stranger in the area. A policy that expects “strangers” to successfully fight armed criminals who are fully conversant with all the nooks and crannies of the area is silly to say the least. Police authorities are also notoriously guilty of failing to recognize sacrifice. Killing a policeman ranks amongst worst crimes imaginable. In countries where the rule of laws is paramount, the deceased policeman will get a “state burial”, and the family will be given the National Flag that was used to drape his coffin. Over here no such thing happens. No recognition is given to police who are being killed weekly. It suffices to say that rather than receiving public appreciation, police widows were forced to demonstrate and protest non-payment of their entitlements. The scandal of the Police Pension Fund is another matter entirely! One of the greatest motivators in any job is the room for self-improvement. Unfortunately the NPF does not encourage its men to undertake part-time studies or attend capacity building courses to improve any other career prospects or just to improve themselves as citizens.
Stuck in the same rank for years, at the same educational level, with no significant increments in salary and no hope of owning any major assets in their lifetime, policemen feel resentful and take out their frustrations on the general public. Harassing people for gratifications, deciding cases in police stations, debt recovery for commission, armed begging, and less savoury unmentionable activities have become common ways for police officers to try and improve their lot. All these are symptomatic of a lack of real motivation. If we seriously want to start winning the fight against crime, the new acting IGP Suleiman Abba should order his men back to crime fighting duties and off the streets. However he must also put an end to armed begging by ensuring everything is put in place to motivate men and women of the Nigeria police force properly.