The Nigerian Police And Opposition Government

The clamour for the creation of state police by state governors and
civil society groups wouldn’t have been an issue in recent years if
the centralized police have not been involved in partisan politics.

The fear that governors may hijack and convert  state police into
personal security outfits used for intimidating political opponents
and enemies of the state governments if clamour for State police
becomes a reality, is now being played out at the centre where police
takes orders directly from the centre to witch hunt the state
governments in the opposition.

The situation whereby state commissioners of police do not take orders
from their various state governors even on security issues that may
require urgent attention, has resulted in conflicts and crises in some
states.  Mostly politically motivated, this conflicts and crises are
witnessed in states controlled by the opposition and has widened the
divide between the opposition and the ruling government.

We have witnessed series of cases where the Nigerian Police and other
security agencies acted by the dictates of the central government at
the detriment of their host States.

The disruption of bring #BringBackOurGirls# rally in May this year on
the orders of the police and the aborted ban of the group by our own
controversial AIG Joseph Mbu in Abuja is one out of  too  many
examples.

The unending crisis at the Edo State house of assembly resurfaced
again on Saturday, 11th October, 2014 with allegations that an
intelligence report of an impending attack on the State legislative
quarters was ignored by the Edo State police commissioner. The Edo
State Government had accused the police of withdrawing the few police
men on duty at the legislative quarters giving maximum time for an
attack on APC lawmakers and their family members by suspected hoodlums
alleged to be working for the PDP.

The desecration of the State High Courts in Rivers and Ekiti States
coupled with attacks on a judge and court workers in Ekiti State last
month by suspected thugs allegedly working on the orders of the
governor-elect Ayodele Fayose while the police men deployed within the
Court premises looked away uninterested and unconcerned is also
another clear example of   high handedness by the security agencies.

The 12 months reign of the controversial self acclaimed “Lion of Port
Harcourt”, AIG Joseph Mbu as the Commissioner of Police Rivers State,
witnessed series of political tension and upheavals for which the
police were indicted for engaging in partisan politics in the State.
There were similar cases in Nasarawa and Adamawa State respectively.

The police has over the years been involved in partisan politics with
anarchy being unleashed on the political system and the opposition is
crying foul over the use of security agencies to settle political
squabbles.

Indeed anarchy has been let loose on the system as the security
agencies have lost the confidence of Nigerians leading to self help
with frequent clashes of the supporters of the ruling and opposition
parties on the increase, endangering our hard earned democracy. When
two elephants fight it is the ground that suffers, thus such wilful
and nepotic interference from the centre on issues of security is
affecting the peace and economic activities of the affected states as
people lives, well being, properties and businesses are threatened.

The need to insulate the police from partisan politics should be given
urgent attention and state governors should not just be chief security
officers of their states on paper, they should have a say when it
comes to security issues in their states. The primary responsibility
of the police all over the world is to protect lives and properties of
all its citizens independently not a selected few.

To be in opposition government is not a crime, it is the fun of
democracy. Republicans and Democrats in America always have issues but
the ruling Democratic Party does not line up state security apparatus
to intimidate the opposition. The much publicised Obama doctrine is
working and it is enough tool to weaken the opposition in America.

The ruling People’s Democratic Party does not need to line up state
security apparatus to subdue the opposition as doing that gives the
opposition an edge over the ruling government and even when they don’t
proffer reasonable alternatives or criticisms to government policies,
they get all the attention, sympathy and popularity.

My advice to the PDP Jonathan led Federal Government is; Use your
performance and silence them. The highest weapon for subduing the
opposition in a democracy is “performance”.

As the 2015 general election approaches, let’s not be carried away by
campaign promises and provision of stomach infrastructure, rather
let’s insist and focus more on manifestos and debates by these
politicians.  The ones that can convince us with realistic solutions
for our hydra headed problems should have our votes irrespective of
sentiments.

UnJoerated Onwukeme: An Idealist wrote from Enugu
[email protected]
Follow me on twitter @unjoeratedjoe