It is evident that robust unity which grows out of historical experience can no longer be found or trusted in the present day Nigeria. It can equally not be considered an over statement if one concludes that in today’s Nigeria, there is no more sense of oneness that emerges from a people trying to control their destiny, environment and that of their unborn generation.
Making these observations a reality to worry about is the current circumstances on ground which daily and clearly demonstrate that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and some state governors has woefully failed to achieve security and pursuit of economic welfare of the citizens, which of course are the only two constitutional responsibilities that all leaders must achieve.
While this development remains unacceptable and demands an immediate and comprehensive improvement, fair minded and well foresighted Nigerians believe that for the nation to arrest its dwindling security situation there exists an urgent need to jig and restructure the present security architecture in the country.
Out of many instances, this feeling recently came to the fore during my conversation with an abroad based Nigerian on the spate of insecurity in the country.
Even as he sympathized with Nigerians on whose shoulders lay the crushing weight of poor leadership consequence, he underlined the fact that the nation is practicing a wrong policing system. He stressed that we are having a security challenge in the country just because we are practicing a national policing system which has never helped any nation and will not bring the nation out of its security woods.
To illustrate this position, he said; the police in Agbor, Delta state, should be people from Agbor and the police in Asaba should be people from Asaba. We should practice a decentralized policing system. If we practice a decentralized policing system, criminals would be caught early and they will be brought to book. That is the way it is done in more civilized nations like the United States of America. You cannot be in Otolokpo, Delta state and find the police there coming from Zamfara State. You cannot be in Asaba or Ogwashi-Uku in Deltat state and the police officers operating in that environment are from Bauchi State or Zamfara state. They wouldn’t know the local people.
On the argument that if the state police are created, the governors will abuse it, he responded thus; you cannot decide to fail when you have not tried. This is a case of failing when you have not tried. What you are telling me is a rumour because it has not been tried. Even the state policing will be wrong. You can’t send someone from Warri to Asaba to manage policing in Okpanam because they don’t know Okpanam very well. He concluded.
Of course, he said it in a different way, venue and time, but, in the real sense of it, he may not have, in my view, said something new or different from what Nigerians have been worried about all these years. Rather the nation’s greatest challenge as it affects the present circumstance is that for an average Nigerian leader, once a direction is chosen, instead of examining process meticulously and set the right course; one that will allow us to overcome storm and reach safety and achieve our goals, many obstinately persist with the execution of such plans regardless of a minor or major shift in circumstance.
The facts are there and speak for it.
Aside from the fact that notable Nigerians, groups have in different times and places called on the Federal Government to steps that will have the nation restructured to accommodate such policing arrangement, President Buhari in his campaign in 2015, promised to “Initiate action to amend the Nigerian Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties, and responsibilities to states in order to entrench true Federalism and the Federal spirit,”
That was not the only evidence.
Recently, While he played host to the traditional rulers from the Northern part of the country led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Mr President going by reports stated that; the ongoing reform of the Police would include recruitment of more hands, cultivation of stronger local intelligence and networking with communities, traditional rulers and adequate training. This in specific terms will include recruiting more police officers from their local government areas, where they would then be stationed in the best traditions of policing worldwide. Working with the state governments; we intend to improve the equipping of the police force with advanced technology and equipment that can facilitate their work.
In all fairness, Buhari never used the word, ‘state police” but it was implied. From the attributes of his speech, he did not only underline the importance of but underscores the virtues and advantages of recruiting more police officers from their local government areas, where they would then be stationed in the best traditions of policing worldwide. Precisely, this form of security architecture and community policing was amazingly the part of what the pro-state police and nations’ restructuring advocates demanded for –particularly as it was obvious that the vast majority of states can afford to equip their officers with the sophisticated security gadgets Mr. President listed above.
To further arrive at the answer, there are in the opinion of this piece, no federal, state/community police models, but there are fundamental differences between the two. While cultural and geographical homogeneity which are strong factors and advantages of state policing are lost in federal policing, state/community police depend on these factors and more such as historical and friendship to keep the society orderly and without anarchy. This value no doubt makes a productive policing without disorder. And it is my belief that state governments have the capacity to fulfill this obligation.
As an incentive, what Nigerians are saying is that the Federal Government must come up with a constitution that empowers the local vigilante because they are the original security informants. And if that is the case, why must the nation continue to duplicate offices and positions? The National Security challenge would be easily solved if we decentralize the policing system. It would be easier to empower the local vigilantes and upgrade them to police officers within their local communities.
What the masses are saying and wanting in my understanding is that the padding of the second schedule of the exclusive legislative list, of our 1999 constitution with 68 items has made Abuja suffer ‘political obesity’ and need to shed some weight via power devolution.
This needs to be done not for political reason(s) but for the survival of our democracy. This should be done with one goal in mind; that of serving the people and enhancing the status of the country and ‘it should be the collective responsibility of the country’s citizens to contribute to the success of the process.
Most importantly, as a nation, we must stop the habit of tackling challenges with the same thinking used when it was created as ‘doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,’’ has as a consequence made Nigerians to suffer greatly for so long.
Utomi Jerome-Mario is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via;jeromeutomi@yahoo.com/08032725374.
