Sergeant: Shun sir, Oga, nothing serious, only that your boys are very hungry. All of us in this vehicle we have not eaten this morning, and Inspector asked us to go on patrol, Sir.
Officer: So, what is that supposed to mean? Are you aware that you are disobeying a lawful operational order from the Commissioner? And that you and your men would face the consequence, if there is any breach of the peace around your operational beat? Are you not aware that over 20 policemen like you have lost their lives in this state in the hands of those armed criminals? By the way, is your team leader supposed to provide food for you? Have you not received your monthly pay and your operational allowance?
Sergeant: No salary, no allowance, Sir.
Officer: Should that prevent you from carrying out superior order? Will you move that vehicle to Orlu and proceed on your patrol beat before I change my mind…Nonsense!
Sergeant: (Grumbling with his teammates and frowning) This officer is a heartless man. Yellow Corporal, did you hear what the officer is talking? Imagine him behaving as if we are robots that have no sense. Can he go on operation on empty stomach? I am just asking. I don’t think he fears God. See somebody I can rush down in a jiffy. Just because I am condemned to wearing this government uniform, he is talking to us like this.
Short Corporal: (Cuts in) It looks as if this officer does not know that morale is low and it is impossible to even handle or operate this rifle. Me, I am saying my own. I am not going to do anything, even if the commissioner comes here. The worst he will do is to detain and make us face orderly room trial. I am not ready to die for Nigeria o! My family is there waiting for me to send money and here I am being ordered to go and face these armed criminals on empty stomach. See how government is spending money on soldiers. I am even thinking of enlisting io the military.
Sergeant: Keep quiet! Are you a graduate and you are a police corporal?
Short Corporal: Oga, I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Lagos. It is condition that made the crayfish to bend. Scarcity of jobs forced me to jettison my degree certificate and use my West Africa School Certificate to get recruited into the police with the help of our senator. See what one is passing through. Only God will save us!
Yellow Corporal: An Indian business tycoon once said, “Keep your morale high, in spite of setbacks. At the end you are bound to succeed.” There is no doubt that our morale is very, very low, but we can still make the best out of the bad situation. I remember a quote from one American journalist and football player who said, “Morale and attitude are fundamentals to success.” Please, Sergeant, let us start moving.
(Suddenly, the radio system in the patrol van comes alive, calling on “Patrol Cobra” to proceed immediately to Orlu traffic junction, where armed criminals are setting cars ablaze and shooting sporadically)
Sergeant: What do we do gentlemen? Me, I am afraid o! In fact, I no get liver!
(Fear grips the entire five-man patrol team. Their morale is very low and it needs “Baba,” the new father of the police, to do something)
Inspector-General of Police Alkali Baba Usman ought to have noticed this demoralization among police. He needs to embark on a nationwide tour of commands and inspire his policemen who now hide their police identity just because their morale is low and enthusiasm has been eroded since the EndSARS nationwide agitation.
A writer once described low morale as “a state of mind. It is steadfastness and courage and hope.” A stitch in time would definitely save nine.
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The Abia CP who boasted
Her boasting has definitely boomeranged, notwithstanding the Abia State governor’s soft landing while comparing the rate of criminality in neighbouring states during a Zoom interactive session with members of the Abia Media Platform, an umbrella body of all Abia State journalists. Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu said, “The state Police Commissioner has performed, considering that she has to take orders from Abuja.”
Even at that, the governor did not hide his apprehension while assessing police promptness to crime scene. Security professionals believe that the promptness of the police to any crime scene usually raises the hope and confidence reposed in the police by the public. More important is the collaboration and openness that exists among all the security agencies in the state.
However, considering the heightened insecurity in the state, the sophistication of criminals and the psychological impact such would have on a “mother” and female officer, should that not be paramount in the posting of police officers?
No matter the accolades being showered on Mrs. Jane Agbede, whose overall public appraisal has not been impressive considering all the criminal activities recorded in the state in a year, including the debasement of a first class traditional ruler and the absence of proactiveness when criminals were reportedly setting federal structures in neighbouring states on fire, one would have expected a state police commissioner to put on the thinking cap and provide security for all federal structures in her state. This would have saved such federal structures like the INEC building in Ohafia.
Mrs. Agbede has not exhibited the needed quality of a commissioner in a command like Abia. Do we expect a female commissioner of police to fight bandits and lead men into the forests when the men are there, notwithstanding that she is occupying the office of a “Commander”? Even Mrs. Agbede, in her maiden address to journalists, acknowledged this fact when she said, “No doubt, Abia is tough, but there is a structure on ground and I am going to build on it.”
Unfortunately, the structure has not helped in curbing the rising rate of insecurity that warranted the drafting of soldiers to the state plus the imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
Her one-year scorecard has not been too impressive, with her stern warning to criminal elements in the state to relocate elsewhere or face a tough time when she said, “I advise those who are criminally-minded and troublesome in the state to leave now or face a tough time.”
Undaunted criminals have instead increased their activities. Added to the policemen at checkpoints and those at police stations where members of the public with cases are subjected to pay before they are bailed. The police in Abia feed fat on innocent residents of the state and this ought not to be so.
Abia s are no longer sleeping with their two eyes closed, yet Mrs Agbede in her maiden press conference boasted that she wants the people of Abia to “sleep with their two eyes closed”. Unfortunately, that has not materialized as criminals now have a field day around the State. Many are already calling for her replacement noting that if the Commissioner in lmo State could be removed based on reported increase in insecurity, same token should be extended to Abia , at least to have a new broom to sweep off insecurity in the State.(Concluded)