Road To 2023: Effective Policing, Good Governance And Vibrant Opposition – Richard Odusanya

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is a Police Service that has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons.

The issues confronting the service are whether it is an accountable public institution and the need to change its approach to policing, as we approach the election year 2023.

The police need public support and cooperation to be effective in controlling crime and holding offenders accountable.

Evidence shows that police, as a body of officers representing the civil authority of government is not functioning properly. Police typically are responsible for maintaining public order and safety, enforcing the law, and preventing, detecting, and investigating criminal activities. These functions are known as policing. Police are often also entrusted with other related issues.

In full, POLICE means Public Officer for Legal Investigations and Criminal Emergencies. They are uninformed individuals who are responsible for keeping law and order. They are a group of personnel who are there to enforce laws, to prevent any kind of civil disorder, save lives and apprehend criminals.

They are also to protect society by collecting and storing analysing intelligence on criminal activities, criminal gangs and individuals. They are to punish any deceit and lying to them and discharge their duty in a manner that equalizes all levels of society. However, if according to our collective experience, we have a country that is full of scammers, fantastically fraudulent, dishonest, deceitful, largely uneducated masses and a rich population of cheats, can we expect a Police force that is different from the one we currently have?

The situation is aggravated by the unfortunate condition where the population of responsible and upright people in our society is seemingly overwhelmed by that of those who behave as if their DNA is dominated by the “Tryptophan Hydrooxylaise 2 SNP” variant gene and its concomitant psychological condition of “pseudologia fantastica”. If indeed this hypothesis of a genetic predisposition exists in a significant population of our society, we can see why our attitude towards work, service provision, business, ordering and supply of fake goods, very negative societal and institutional relationships, money ritual killings, political misbehaviour and rampant corruption, and most significantly, Policing is what it is. It would therefore be in order to be apprehensive about leadership and Policing as we approach next year’s elections.

In conclusion, the above brings into focus some pertinent questions:

1. Can the POLICE force, identify those amongst them that are psychologically fit for the job and with the capacity to walk the fine line between maintaining law and order and intimidation of the people that pay their salaries?
2. Can there be the selection of a team of senior Police officers (uniformed and detectives) that would be specially trained to effectively police the upcoming 2023 elections?
3. Can the Police’s ICT team and INEC be provided a “handshaking” platform that would be probably facilitated with blockchain technology?
4. Should the Police force adopt a psychometric test facility that would identify the leaders of the team that would provide support for the 2023 elections?

RESURRECTION AND RAMADAN GREETINGS TO OUR CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM FAITHFUL.

Richard Odusanya is a Social Reform Crusader and the convener of AFRICA COVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE ACRI.