Follow Us on Google
Chris Nwaude
The recent sudden surge in security challenges in Enugu state under the watchful eyes of the now redeployed Commissioner of Police, Mr. Suleiman Balarabe truly exposed his lack of professional competence and organisational capacity. Balarabe has gone down in history as the shortest served commissioner of Police in Enugu since 1999. His lack of professional capacity became obvious, not too long after he assumed office. The state which was adjudged one of the most peaceful in the country before Balarabe’s appointment began to witness sudden pockets of crimes, without any concrete solution by the police. This was despite the huge logistics and moral support from the state government and the people of the state to the Force. Balarabe displayed lack of rudimentary understanding of Intelligence and operational tact of the police in protection of lives and property in the state.
Expectedly, his redeployment from Enugu state was long overdue. Now that the police hierarchy has hearkened to the voice of reasoning by redeploying Balarabe and replacing him with Mr. Ahmad Abdurahmn, there are onerous tasks before the new police helmsman in the state. Greatest of such tasks are the immediate restoration of security in the state and the regaining of the people’s confidence in the Force. Considering the circumstances that brought about Abdurahmn’s sudden appointment as the new commissioner of Police in Enugu, the people of the state are highly expectant of urgent and fruitful result.
Abdurahmn should be conscious and mindful of this fact. Enugu people are very sophisticated, peaceful and exposed. They are always desirous of peaceful environment and at the same time very impatient with security lapses. They often and vehemently abhor security agencies’ excuses for failure to protect their lives and properties. This is because security challenges has not been part and parcel of their daily living, especially since Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi assumed office. So they are not expecting or taking anything less from Abdurahmn and his men. These are basic things that should be uppermost in Abdurahmn’s mind as he deploys his strategies to get result in the state. The new police helmsman, Abdurahmn should take ample time to tour all the police formations in the state, profile and interface with his personnel to enable him utilise their potentials appropriately to get optimal result.
Also to be avoided like a plague by Abdurahmn and his men are those who would like to use them to forment troubles or sabotage security in the state for political and selfish reasons. Still fresh in the memory of Nigerians is the alleged compromise of some security agents by the recently arrested notorious Taraba kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Wadume. Nothing says that some criminal elements in Enugu won’t attempt to try Wadume’s tactics and antics. Abdurahmn should be dedicated and steadfast on his job to ensure quick, consistent and timely delivery. He should always make himself accessible and available, especially during emergency and urgency. He should orientate and reorientate his men on the need to abide by their constitution responsibility of securing lives and property. He should cash in on Enugu State government’s recruitment of 1700 Forest Guards to seek collaboration with the Guards to take policing to the grassroots level. The traditional Police practice of mandating Divisional Police Officers and other subordinates to bring financial returns on monthly basis should be eschewed as well. Such cheap and dirty money has rubbished the integrity of the DPOs and the CPs in the state in the past. The new CP should keep tab on the activities of his men, especially in the rural areas and should not hestitate to adequately punish the erring ones without minding whose is gored.
He should always be conscious of the fact that his deployment to the state was based on trust and confidence. So, to whom much is given, much is expected. Abdurahmn ‘s resume speaks volume of his personality. Having served as a Commissioner of Police in charge of Intelligence at the FCID Abuja is an indication that Abdurahmn is a refined officer with immeasurable experience in crime prevention and fighting. This could only be proven and ascertained by Abdurahmn’s performance in the days ahead.
After all, securing a state like Enugu with peaceful people and people-orientated government is not a rocket science. Mr. Danmallam Mohammed did it, with massive support from the state governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the people, while serving as Enugu Commissioner of Police. By all standard and assessment, Ugwuanyi is a peaceful governor, who has promoted and enthroned peace co-existence in the state since he came into office. His government by its disposition over the years is ever ready to support peace initiatives and the security agencies to maintain peace in the state.
Meanwhile, there is nothing wrong if Abdurahmn can understudy and adopt one of his predecessors, Danmallam Mohammed’s security template that worked effectively in the state. What is of utmost importance is to get the desired result. People are not interested on how security is achieved or could be guaranteed. What they hanker for is secure environment, where they can operate freely and unmolested, considering that nothing works in an atmosphere of insecurity.
Again from Abdurahmn’s phyiscal look, there is no doubt that he is a Fulani by tribe and a Muslim by faith. He looks like a gentleman from sole to crown. Unfortunately, there is no art to know the mind’s construction on the face. Abdurahmn should not feign ignorant of the common allegation that Fulani herdsmen are behind the spate of killings and attacks across the country. This could be say to be stereotypical, but that is the general belief of the people especially in and from the South. This is despite the fact that crime has no tribe, religion or colour. With this widely-held belief which maybe erroneous anyway, Abdurahmn should diligently and sincerely work to erase it and prove the Doubting Thomases wrong. This could easily be seen or assessed by the way he handles the notorious herdsmen activities in the state in the coming days. Sparing or shielding any criminal element or his accomplices in the state, no matter how highly placed they are will not augur well for Abdarahmn and his men. Criminals should not be treated or seen to be treated with kid’s gloves, because of their religion or tribe. Crime suspects should not only be arrested and paraded, they should be properly investigated, arraigned and prosecuted. Nigerians are tired of seeing faces of crime suspects being paraded on camera by the police, only to be later set free secretly by the same police after being compromised. That is unacceptable and people believe that is what is emboldening these criminal elements.
Abdurahmn should know that he is not a Commissioner of Police of any group or individual, but a Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, who is being taken care of with taxpayers’ money and is expected to protect lives and properties of all. So for this fact, he and his men have the primary constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property in the state and nothing more. Any other responsibility is secondary to this primary responsibility. As a police officer with deep background in intelligence gathering and crime fighting, Abdurahmn should be more emphatic on proactive measures that will nip crimes in the bud, instead of the usual reactive approaches that normally make mess of the Police.
Finally, Abdurahmn on assumption of office, should assiduously dig deep to ascertain the pitfalls that led to the failure and downfall of his predecessor, Suleiman Balarabe and avoid it while in office. Abdurahmn should be mindful of the wise saying that success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan. It is left for him to choose where he wants to belong. The ball is solely in his court and he will be judged by his deeds in office.
Nwaude writes from Ezeilo, Ebonyi State.
