President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday expressed disgust with what he called indiscipline and mediocrity in the country’s security agencies, lamenting that these have been largely responsible for their abysmal performance over the years.
Speaking at the State House, Abuja, where he inaugurated the Nigeria Police Service Commission, the President recalled how he was tempted to sack the top echelon of the Nigeria Police Force for allowing Boko Haram terrorists to bomb their headquarters in 2011.
He also expressed his embarrassment upon finding out that virtually all the nominees sent to him for appointment as Comptroller-General of Immigration were officers that ought to have been dismissed from service for various acts of misconduct.
The President acknowledged that Nigerian security officers usually performed creditably outside the shores of the country but regretted their sometimes dismal performance back home owing largely to the same issues of indiscipline and disregard to merit and due process.
The President charged the Okiro-led Commission to help government address these inefficiencies by reviewing the police reforms report and making appropriate recommendations that would assist the Federal Executive Council (FEC) evolve a White Paper towards finding durable solutions.
“You will agree with me that Nigerians don’t have so much confidence in the Nigeria Police, but Nigeria Police is good.
“Nigerian policemen that work outside (the country) under the United Nations are highly honoured, highly commended and Okiro will agree with me.
“But once we come back home, that is not reflected in what we do. Even now that we have challenges you will see that.
“Especially, when the Police Headquarters was bombed, some people came to me and said ‘Mr. President, sack all police officers working in that place from Assistant Commissioner of Police and above’.
“I did not sack any because of that incident but that was the advice I got; that if you do that subsequent people that would be posted there will sit up.
“How could the police allow their headquarters to be bombed by a very local group called Boko Haram?
“But I believe there are two things, one is the issue of discipline. And so, one of the responsibilities of the Police Service Commission is to instil discipline.
“Another thing I believe is that people who do no merit certain ranks are being promoted to those ranks. One of your responsibilities is to handle promotion.
“I believe with you, only those who merit or deserve promotion should be promoted. Those who deserve to be disciplined or even dismissed must be disciplined.
“Few days back I did approve that the new Comptroller-General of Immigration who brought the list of about six that were to be reviewed, some were sent from the ministry, some were picked from among the most senior.
“When we reviewed the six, from my intelligence investigations most of them were supposed to have been dismissed. But those were the people that were being forwarded for appointment as Comptroller General of Immigration.
“Among them only one is qualified to even stay and serve, others ordinarily are supposed to be dismissed from the records.
“And I believe that the story of Immigration is the same with most of our services.
“I believe that is why the performance of some of our military and para-military officers is abysmal; because the yardstick being used for promotion is not based on competence, merit and performance,” the President lamented.
He, therefore, charged Okiro and the Commission to ensure not just a better command structure of the police, but that officers who are promoted to Assistant Police Commissioner and above must deserve the rank or else, they should be retired from the service.
“It is better for you not to have enough manpower than for you to have viruses and all kinds of characters in the Police Force,” Jonathan reasoned.
He told the Commission members that FEC would in the next one or two weeks consider the police reform report and “since we have just appointed you, we give you the privilege to look at that document before we come out with a White Paper, so that if there is a suggestion that you will bring, you bring it and that it will be part of the White Paper since you are the ones to manage the police.”
In an interview with journalists after the ceremony, Okiro, a former IG, said the immediate task is to examine extant laws and find where and how to reform the police force.
He sought the cooperation of all Nigerians, including the press and police officers themselves in doing this.
Okiro explained that Nigerian policemen perform better on international duties because the environment is different, the people are different and the equipment to work with are different.
This is not an indictment of Nigerian authorities though, he added.
“What we are talking about is that time changes, society is dynamic. What happened few years ago is not what is happening now. You know at that time there was no Boko Haram but there is right now.
“So, you have to work as the situation demands at the moment and at the time.
“What I am going to do now is to look at what is making the police not to perform optimally at this time, at this period of our nation’s history. I will try and address those issues,” Okiro assured.
He also lamented the poor welfare package of police officers in the country, declaring that “from ACP up are not feeling very happy. Many of them have no houses, the morale of the police is quite low, and they need to be motivated as you have to look into what will make them perform optimally.
“If you give somebody something to work with, he works well for you. If you pay somebody very well, he works very well for you. If you give somebody pittance, you get pittance service from him. So we have to look at the welfare of the police first and foremost.”
No comments:
Post a Comment