NEWS > 17 December 2006

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The Tide - Port Harcourt,Niger
17 December 2006

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The police and the rest of us

The Police as government�s security outfit, is charged with the maintenance of law and order in the society.

It is created against the backdrop of coercion and lawlessness exhibited by deviants in our contemporary society.

Though as old as Nigeria herself, the Nigerian Police force (NPF) emanated from the West African frontier force (WAFF) established by the British Colonial masters to supplement the atrocities they were perpetrating during their hang days. Their primary objectives were the protection of British officials in West African, enforcement of British laws on Africans and the maintenance of law and order within British territories.

The force members were not to go contrary to the demands and ethics of British laws. The consequence of this was total removal from the force.

Until 1960, when Nigeria was cleared for self governance, this biased practice in the British system of administration was not in doubt. It was after the 1960 independence that Nigerians began to have a sense belonging and the interest of brotherliness at heart.

This metamorphosis affected almost all sectors of the new republic including the Police force. They were renamed Nigerian Police force, charged with virtually similar responsibilities like that of the WAFF but with new dimension as regards to their aims and objectives and candid operational slogan �poised to service you better�.

The Police was made part and parcel of the ordinary citizens of Nigeria and were to service with integrity within the jurisdiction of Nigerian laws. The citizens were made to understand that Police is the in friend in as much as they (the citizens) are law abiding and conductors of favourable image about their country.

Then, the force were reliable and their good deeds projected good image about their whims and caprices.

The trend of uprightedness in Police force was the watch world till the later part of 1970s when some corrupt Police Officers were enlisted into the Corp of coup lanners. This was the beginning of their fall as these officers. �let go the commandment of the constitutional and held fast to the tradition of deceit�.

That was the birth of corruption and its introduction into the veins and blood of our beloved Police men. Minimal punishment was what the then military administration dished out to these officers as against the normal death sentence.

Some of these affected officers turned a new leaf while the hardened ones colonized �freshers�. The seeds of discord were permanently sewn and ironically, it grew and �bared forth off springs�.

Like mass mediated messages, computation spread far and wide among officers and men of Nigerian Police that the government could not stop it, but only tamed its periphery. To worsen the whole thing, bribery was introduced as a supplement.

The Culture transcended down to the �toothless officers whose hands were opened to the reception of corrupt matters. The only reason they always give is that their �take home pay� if they were forced to join the force. They were compensated greatly for doing evil and encouraged to �keep it up� as against reprimand which characterized the Police force of old.

The heads of these practitioners were filled with gladness and joy as they were promoted upon successful evil operation.

The practice was made legal when our Police branded bribery �ROJA�. They introduced the name to all the rank and file of Nigerian Police force, which made it possible for every Police Officer to understand its meaning.

Government turned eyes left and concentrated on international policies while the worms of bribery and corruption were busy ravaging our economy. Several agitation made by different groups and organizations in respect to the issue made no impact.

At last, the sleeping dog was allowed to lie and all opposition to the new laws by the Police force. Suspended Nigerians were left with no option than to accept �ROGA� to live for good.

Recently, Police has deviced a new method of using their uniform to intimidate, extort and brutalise the masses in the name of �doing the job�. Many have resorted to going for illegal duties, working as aides to the rich to the detriment of the poor and so on.

Many have even been hiding under the umbrella of the Police while they are born criminals. It makes no news telling a Nigerian that armed robbers wear Police uniform or operate with sophisticated weapons meant for the Police alone. The question now is, are they really Police? Several robbery incident happening around are attributable to them.

These corrupt officers who share common frame of reference with their contractors will agree with me that they have either been hired to �settle scores� between parties or paid to assassinate unwanted opponent (s).

Police have dirty image and need urgent laundering to project it favourably again.

Ugwu is an intern with The Tide.

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Article sourced from

The Tide - Port Harcourt,Niger17 December 2006

The police and the rest of us

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The Tide - Port Harcourt,Niger
17 December 2006