The wise man profoundly says “ideas rule the world”. It is these ideas that are turned into policies which governments use in ruling their people.
Most often, ideas are implemented at the wrong time and the original reason for generating the idea gets eroded and would not give credence to the idea. So, when such idea is belatedly implemented , it would only serve the original purpose and that is the end. Also, some ideas are mainly to solve urgent issues and when it is prolonged, it becomes useless and ineffective. Many of such borrow and paste ideas that have truncated the developmental progress of the country since independence. More so, some ideas are truncated before maturing while others are jestitioned based on irrelevant hatred and personal differences or inability of successors to comprehend the idea on there table. Let’s mention some of them. Banning of history subject from our school curriculum. Implimentation of operations feed the nation. Negative effects of increase in tariffs. Federal government and central bank monetary policy idea . Open boarder policy idea. Government privatization policy idea. Interestingly , in 2008, a visionary security leader, who was the lnspector General of police, Sir Mike Mbama Okiro after studying the pattern of crime around the sub region, quickly assembled youthful police officers from the mobile police squad and sent them to foreign countries like lsrael and other countries to be trained in anti terrorism because he envisaged that such global crime may soon erupt and envelope the country. An idea Which was in the overall best interest Of the country to be fore armed which is to before warned. Painfully, after their foreign training, and were awaiting deployment, lGP Okiro retired and his successor Ogbonnaya Onovo jestitioned the noble idea and dismantled the anti terrorism squad only for the country to be faced with the challenges of Boko Haram terrorists. unfortunately the country was caught napping with its hands down. Again another unpalatable idea is the Granting of amnesty to repentant Boko Haram terrorists. However, in 2002, an innovative idea was initiated by lnspector General of police Mr Tafa Balogun ( now late) by planning to introduce the concept of “ Community policing”. What is community policing
Community policing in general is a collaborative effort between police and communities to reduce crime and improve safety. It can also help prevent violent extremism and terrorism
It aims to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods by increasing trust in the police and making community members more active in preventing crime. At the time Mr Tafa BALOGUN initiated the concept into the Nigeria police system, the rate of criminality was very high so was the death rate. Unfortunately his early retirement truncated the noble idea and since his exit every Inspector General of police were harping on a new concept of state police which is before the federal house of Assembly for ratification and approval before implementation Many are asking the relevant question, why the rush in implementing the community policing system instead of state police system being rectified for operational use and not duplicating efforts. According to the Nigerian constitution , which established the Nigeria police force under section 214(1) of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria (as amended). It states: “There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this Constitution, no other police force shall be established for the Federation or any part thereof.” If one should ask a question.
This section gives legal backing to the establishment and existence of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), while also prohibiting the creation of any other police force within the Federation, ensuring a centralized policing structure for the country. Today there are other security agencies that carry out assignment by the Nigeria Police and this should be stopped and looked into. Example is the civil defence. Recently The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, disclosed that the newly recruited personnels for the community policing would be posted to their state of origin
He added that the Force was targeting 30,000 annual recruitment in line with President Bola Tinubu’s approval.
At the Passing Out Parade at the Police Training School, Bauchi, on Thursday, Egbetokun, said the new personnel would boost the Nigeria police capacity, saying that they had been deployed to their states of origin for community policing.
Record shows that Community policing has been implemented in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. It’s also been used in transitional societies that don’t have strong democratic traditions. In as much as we applaud the will to Implement the system, it is the Nigerian factor that observers are weary about. Factor of corruption of the system by traditional rulers and village warlords who would want to corrupt the recruits and use them as political tools. The Nigerian factor were religious and ethnic consideration and affiliation would eventually play negative roles on the posting of the recruits and preferential choice of particular local government Area. I recalled attending seminars among several that were organized for the take off of the community policing programme in Abuja and Lagos for participants and media practitioners across the country
The original intention and purpose of the community policing programme was to help to prevent and reduce crime in every community around the country. More importantly, can help to reduce the fear of crime in communities and furthe quality of life.
With the introduction of the belated community policing programe , it is good to also juxtapose the desire of the lnspector General of police Mr Egbetokun , with the present economic realities in the country. A situation where salaries of serving police men and women are not constant. Following the lGP address in Bauchi , that the reintroduction of community policing would increase the capacity and strength of the Nigeria police force.. in other words the lGP had already foreclose the issue of state police that had been on the front burner of national discuss. Community police cannot be compared with state police. Each serve different purposes and the country needs state police as well as community police programs to completely dismantle all the local militias and gun carrying vigilantes like Amotekun, Opc, and the rest like them. The new system may afterall absorb and create job opportunities for these unemployed Nigerian youths.
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Congratulations
Our Security File wish to Congratulates our avid readers newly Promoted Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Jonathan Towuyru and newly appointed Female head of Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Mrs AIG Augustina N. Ogbodo FCID Alagbon, Lagos as we rejoice with them we know that they will bring to there new position with there wealth of experiences to bring about necessary changes.