BY HASHIM YUSSUF AMAO
Dismissed. Dekitted. Deforced. Lately, these were some of the words that kept popping up on the screens of our mobile gadgets. It’s from one news story of an extortive police officer being dismissed from duty, to that of another corrupt one being dekitted by the Nigerian Police Force. Beyond whitewashing, corruption has badly bared its shameful fangs among the Nigerian Police.
In 2017, the National Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime declared the Nigeria Police as the most corrupt institution in the country.
In 2019, the World Internal Security and Police Index also ranked the Nigerian police as the worst in Africa. So saddening it is to see policemen who were supposed to treat the infirmity of corruption become the dinosaurs of the unworthy act.
But then, it kept popping questions in one’s mind: why have other policemen not learnt from their peers who were being dismissed for corruption and extortion, or rather, why are the Nigerian policemen hell-bent on not abiding by the message of their motto, “Police Is Your Friend”? The sincere answer, better put, a factor that continues to contribute to their unending corruption is their low salaries and poor working conditions.
Aside from the 2012 subsidy protest dubbed “Occupy Nigeria,” in which Nigerians spoke out in unison against the then-administration of Goodluck Jonathan’s increase in petrol prices from N65 to N141, they have hardly come together in a strong nationwide protest until the EndSARS protest of 2020, which nearly ripped the country apart.
Aggrieved Nigerians could not continue to bear the extortion and ordeal they face daily from policemen who were supposed to protect their rights but turned their plight – extorting them and causing them havoc. Commendably, the EndSARS protesters did not only seek reformation and rehabilitation of the policemen, part of their agitation was “increment in the salaries of the policemen”, as little or insufficient pay could be a reason they go about extorting citizens.
Research has it that Nigerian policemen are one of, if not the least paid in the world. Undeniably, the working condition of Nigerian policemen is quite ignominious. Many of those who meander about the roads and extort citizens would have found pleasure in staying at their stations if they were good and conducive. The conditions of many police stations, police vehicles, uniforms, and ammunition are deplorable and unbefitting of the policemen who put their lives at risk in the protection of citizens.
“Matter-of-factly, dismissing policemen who extort without giving them sustainable salaries and better working conditions will only turn out to be like seeds of discord; you squash one and another germinates. And sadly, these dismissals will only continue to add to the hunger and unemployment rate, and even shorten the number of officers”
Over the years, there have been several promises of salary increases for the police. The Federal Government, State Governments, the Senate, the NPF and appropriate bodies should not only pass bills or make promises for an increase in the salaries of the police; implementation of these promises is more important.
A situation where constables earn between N45, 000 and N50, 000 in a crippled economy is not only bad but laughable.
Just a few days ago, some policemen took to the streets of Kwara State to protest over non-payment of their 16 months’ salary.
Although later dismissed by the Kwara Police Command, denying policemen their allowances comes with great consequences, one of which is that they would transfer aggression on innocent citizens and strike them with venom of anger.
While we may not justify the extortion of policemen on innocent citizens, we also can’t turn a blind eye to their paltry salaries and awful working conditions.
There should not only be a promise but implementation of a salary increase.
Also, their recruitment should not just be based on academic merit; character and psychological checks need to be fully considered, as no sane policeman will go about being an agent and harbinger of extortion.
In a similar sense, the time-to-time sensitization of policemen should not be jettisoned. Talks, seminars, and conferences that constantly remind them of their work ethics and ethos will, without doubt, reduce the corruption among them.
Matter-of-factly, dismissing policemen who extort without giving them sustainable salaries and better working conditions will only turn out to be like seeds of discord; you squash one and another germinates. And sadly, these dismissals will only continue to add to the hunger and unemployment rate, and even shorten the number of officers of an institution which has already fallen short in figure, and has between 350,000 and 370,000 for a population of 200 million plus people, as opposed to the United Nations recommendation of 340: 100,000 police-to-citizen ratio.
The NPF should not just focus on the shadow while acting blind to the substance. They should first draw their officers close with friendly hands before reprimanding them with iron hands. It is without doubt that when the policemen receive better salaries and work in a conducive atmosphere, they would be less vulnerable to extortion.
Hashim Yussuf tweets via @LegalBard
CAVEAT: Views and opinions expressed here are those of the writers and are not in any way those of The Point Newspaper – Editor
