Public officials are always in the eye of the
storm of scrutiny. A monitoring eye is no doubt a veritable tool for exerting
diligence and efficiency from true leaders; it keeps them on their toes, gives
them a new sense of vigor to accomplish far beyond what the public is expecting
of them and sets them on the part of history. Even though the public is
sometimes like children, the more good you bring them, the more they demand for
more. Still, serious leaders requite these attentions and refine them into the
energy that fires them into consolidating their positive gains and providing a
template for those coming behind to work with.
Most at times, nobody considers the good work
of leaders worthy of commendation but the moment they fail even in the most
forgivable of their duties, they are brought under fire and torn into shreds
with vituperations and aspersion; the press, civil society groups and
international agencies will come down hard on them with no let and no restraint
at the slightest provocation but remain mute when they excel at their duties.
Although, true leaders do not care for commendations, they are born for duty
and they derive pleasure from working their angle of the governance machine to
deliver succor to the populace, still, it will be gracefully energizing to
commend them for diligence sometimes.
Against this background, the police under
Ibrahim Idris haven shouldered so much criticism in the past justly or
unjustly, deserve lots of commendation for its series of policing novelty that
has continued to return back the hitherto damaged faith fabric to the Nigerian
Police.
When Ibrahim Idris took over as the IG of
police, he inherited an institution so low on morale, professionalism, probity,
transparency, diligence and efficiency. To be fair, it will be foolhardy to
pretend that the IG was unaware of the dark spots that are spread all over the
Nigerian police seeing that he has been part of the institution all along, but
he must be credited with the presence of mind to transform that perspicacity
into action; action that has brought so much to the force in so short a time.
Not discountenancing the very many factors
that make policing Nigeria an unnecessarily hard job which if taken into
perspective makes the police chief even more worthy of commendation. For
instance, the Nigerian police are grossly undermanned with unofficial figures
suggesting a ratio of over 1000 Nigerians to a police officer as against the
international standard of at most 20 people to an officer. And, the penchant of
police officers to be high handed in the execution of their duties adding a
dark cloud into the mix.
Without having to dwell on every little
achievement of the Nigerian police boss since he was announced as the IG, it
will be impossible not take notice of many crunch decisions of his that are
repositioning the force for excellence. From his choice of lieutenants for
important tasks, to his decisions to promote officers long overdue and to
recognize for advancement, educational certificates secured on the Job by his
officers; everything that IG of police Ibrahim Idris touched has turned to
gold. Needless to say it has jump started the ebbing morale of the men and
women of the Nigeria police.
ACP Abba Kyari and his SRS team only recently
apprehended Nigeria’s all time, most notorious kidnap kingpin, Mr. Chidumeme
Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans after many years unfettered freedom. Following that
arrest, the IGP ordered special promotion for all 32 detectives of the SRS and
TIU units to help boost their morale and encourage them to do more. With the
morale sky high and buoyed by this special recognition, the crackdown on the
dreadful kidnap and armed robbery syndicates operating between Abuja, Niger and
Kaduna states have seen a kind of vigor not always associated with the Nigeria
police in years past. Almost on a daily basis, suspects are caught and paraded
sometimes in full military regalia and a full complement of the weapons they
use in perpetuating their reign of terror.
Earlier, the Nigerian police in February of
this year freed Professor Peter Breunig, a German archeologist kidnapped by
criminals in southern Kaduna and his associate Johannes Buringer to leave a
clear marker against kidnapping. Major General Alfred Nelson, the deputy High
Commissioner of Sierra Leone was also wrestled off the clutches of these ransom
criminals and Nigerians can’t but be optimistic that the IGP came to cleanse
the land of criminal elements.
Also, Henry Chibueze, a notorious armed
robbery don who terrorized the south eastern region of the country from his Imo
state hideout only recently joined his criminal compatriots in the long list of
IGP Idris Ibrahim’s long list of solved crimes
It is in the area of police public relations
however that Nigerians must commend IGP Ibrahim Idris. Gone are the days of
indiscriminate raids and unlawful detention. Only recently, a young lady was
arrested and molested for simply using her phone to record a policing gaffe and
within moments of finding out via a tweet to its twitter handle, the police PCR
did not only order the immediate release of the girl with an apology to boot,
but also a thorough investigation into the activity that landed the young lady
into the bad books the unscrupulous officers.
IGP Ibrahim’s Nigerian police are utilizing
modern communication channels to bring order to the police force and to help
Nigerians get help quickly via twitter, Facebook and other social media
channels and this is unprecedented.
You are sure to receive a response to any
posted query on the police social media pages within minutes and you can be
rest assured it will be helpful and full of hope
The IGP has continued to bring far reaching
changes into the force in collaboration with the public and other security
agencies. Already, the police chief has been bagging encomiums from
well-meaning Nigerians just as he was recently elected the deputy chairman of
African Police Chiefs.
– Kera a Communication Strategist, writes from
Kaduna.
Source: leadership.ng
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