Do you think the Nigeria Police Force is reformable (2)


I posted the first article on this subject on the 10th of August 2006. That’s over a year ago. At the time, I did not know that I would post a second and maybe a third article on the same topic. This post was actually triggered by an incidence that occurred around the Christmas season.

I was traveling by road within the country (Naija) with my Husband and we met a lot of Police "check points" on the road (as usual). We got to a particular point where the policeman who was supposed to check the vehicle particulars, drivers license and the insurance stopped us to check all our documents, he checked all the papers, returned them to us except for the drivers license and then he said, "Oga, do Christmas for us now." Well, since "doing Christmas" for people should be an act of free will, we said we were not doing Christmas for him so, he held on to the driver's license and refused to release it. At this point, it was already getting a bit late and we still had some way to go. The "Police Officer" could not be bothered that the roads were bad and unsafe to be drive on particularly at night, he was just concerned about us "doing Christmas" for him. Unknown to us, he had told his "Oga" - Superior that the papers of the car were not complete. He stopped a lot of other cars after us and told them to do Christmas too. We found out that the Police Officer is still a student in a Higher Institution of learning (assuming he was telling the truth to one of the numerous people he stopped)

When we had spent the greater part of an hour at their check point and it was getting dark, the guy's superior told him to give us the driver's license and that we could go. His name? - "Ojo Olayinka"

The incidence reminded of occurrences that people had gisted me about, articles I had read in the newspapers and of the article I had written over a year ago. All these brought waves of doubt to my heart. It made me wonder if the Nigeria Police is reformable... It made me wonder if I am right to be a staunch believer in the new Nigeria. But then, I decided that it would not be wise to allow my faith to be shaken, I reiterated my believe in Nigeria. I still believe in a new Nigeria. I believe that in spite of the efforts of a lot of people in authority the Police, the Government and even the society at large to dash my hopes and beliefs, I believe that a time is coming when people in authority like Officer Ojo Olayinka will realize that doing Christmas for a fellow human is by choice and not by force. That it’s not to be done under duress. I believe that a time will come when Police officers will ride brand new cars and live in fantastic houses. I believe a time will come when the Police will be respected as an authority not because they have guns but because they are doing what they ought to do. I believe a time will come when it will be an insult to offer a Police Man in Nigeria bribe because he will be too well paid and his mentality will not be that of a poor man, his mentality will not be that of a needy person, his mentality will not be that of a victim of circumstance but his mentality will be that of an office holder who has being entrusted with authority and the safety of lives and property of the people of the nation within his jurisdiction. I am a firm believer in a New Nigeria and I believe that we will get there in my life time.