Abubakar: Walking a tightrope

Mohammed_Abubakar

Adelani Adepegba writes that though the people’s expectations are high, only time will tell whether the new police boss,

Adelani Adepegba writes that though the people’s expectations are high, only time will tell whether the new police boss, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, will break the jinx

On Jan 26, 2011, when former Assistant Inspector-General Mohammed Abubakar drove into the premises of the Force Headquarters as the new (acting) Inspector-General, looking sharp and cheerful, many officers watched in admiration as he stepped out to a guard of honour mounted to welcome him.

The watching crowd buzzed in approval as the new police boss adjusted the cap of a member of the brigade and looked intently into the face of another guard. Abubakar then warmly greeted senior and junior officers and well-wishers that had waited for him under the scorching sun.

His appointment has generated different emotions and controversies. While some see his elevation as the best thing to have happened to the Nigeria Police Force in recent times, a few others believe the Federal Government committed a blunder, pointing to his controversial tenure in Plateau State as a commissioner of police.

While the Campaign for Democracy led by Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, condemned the appointment, the Deputy Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Kawu Sumaila, hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for picking Abubakar.

The CD president, in a statement, said Abubakar was not the right man for the job because the Justice Niki Tobi panel indicted him over the Jos crisis of 2001, but Sumaila (All Nigeria Peoples Party, Kano) commended the President for the choice.

Sumaila described the acting IG “as a serious minded and well-trained officer, who has distinguished himself over the years with clean record of achievements and incorruptibility.”

Also, the northern socio-political group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, described Abubakar’s appointment as a welcome development. The group, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary,  Mr. Anthony Sani, lauded the appointment.

The Police Service Commission was, however, quick to clear him of any wrong-doing. It insisted that the Tobi panel that indicted Abubakar of being involved in the 2001 Jos crisis and of being a religious bigot was not set up by the FG. Besides, the commission argued that the recommendation of the panel was not forwarded to the FG and so, it should not be a hindrance to Abubakar’s emergence as the IG. Nevertheless, Abubakar’s indictment as a religious bigot by the panel cannot be wished away. In fact, a number of people see him as a religious fanatic, who should not have been appointed at this critical time.

With this dark cloud over his head, the acting IG would need to go the extra mile to prove his sincerity while performing his official duties. Coming into office at a time the nation is being literally pushed into a religious crisis by the violent activities of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar would have to toe a very fine line to avoid doing anything that could be misconstrued by Nigerians. This means that he has to weigh his actions and words, while ensuring that his sense of purpose is not distracted by the criticisms and verbal invectives that would be hauled at him.

The acting IG has a big task ahead of him, no doubt. To retool the police and make it a functional crime-busting force, he has to start from the basics and take it unit by unit, department by department. First, he must identify good heads that can add value to the force, and remove dead woods and other redundant hands that see the police as a bakery, where their daily bread is baked. The force should be for those that are desirous of keeping the communities safe, not for job-hunters and applicants looking for a place to earn a living.

The training of policemen has not got its deserved attention from past IGs. It is a fact that policemen, who handle weapons daily, hardly go for refresher shooting practice/courses. Apart from the fact that most of them only get what could be described as a ‘crash course’ in gun handling at the police college, many officers do not appreciate the social responsibility their position imposes on them. It is common to see policemen carelessly carrying deadly rifles like the AK-47 in public places, while some even go to bars to drink and smoke on duty.

Abubakar may not really appreciate the conditions under which his men work. He may need to visit police stations to see their shameful conditions and the filthy cells, where suspects are kept. Even in Abuja, the seat of power, some of the stations are so dirty and unfit to be designed a zoo, let alone a place for security personnel. To get the loyalty of his men, the IG should improve their working environment and condition of service.

Of importance is orientation change and mindset that should be re-configured. The average policeman hardly believes in preventing crime. Modern day policing is about crime-prevention and it is intelligence-driven, technology-compliant. Use of surveillance cameras, forensic laboratories, ballistic equipment and other security gadgets should be encouraged.

The police need to retake their place as the frontline security agency in the country. To achieve this, the place of intelligence gathering cannot be over-emphasised. Police detectives should sharpen their skills and capabilities through constant trainings, local and foreign courses, exposure to latest devices that can assist them in their job and robust remuneration that takes cognisance of the risks they face as security operatives. The intelligence unit of the police has been left to rot and this has sadly affected the operational effectiveness of the organisation.

In his first meeting with senior officers from the ranks of commissioners of police and above penultimate Wednesday, the IG unfolded his plans to ‘reform’ the police. As is typical of new helmsmen, Abubakar was long on promises, but short on how he intends to execute the plans, including a six-point agenda that he said would make the communities the centre-point of police operations.

According to him, the new policing plan will involve intelligence-gathering and the upgrading of the intelligence unit to a well-equipped department that will train under-cover agents to infiltrate criminal gangs, while an intelligence school will be established.

The IG announced plans to decentralise the Nigeria Police Force by empowering zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police to take certain administrative and operational decisions affecting their areas of responsibility.

By this, the AIGs would be held responsible for any act of crime, lawlessness and disorder in their various zones, just as the IG said the police would reconnect with the local communities and work with the people irrespective of their social status, economic position and religious belief. But the question is, does IG have the political will to sanction any AIG that fails to perform his duty in this regard?

The police boss stated that the force would start using new technologies to fight crime, including the use of surveillance cameras in high crime areas, DNA analysis, computerised licence plate scanners and other high-tech systems to apprehend criminals, describing such technological advancement as an investment in public safety. It remains to be seen if he would be willing to invest in these technologies.

He explained that his administration would strive for professionalism, noting that the police as currently constituted cannot be effective because all operational police officers were classified as general duty officers and a few others as specialists.

Abubakar said one of his top goals was to make sure that his officers had the best training tactics and equipment to keep themselves and the communities safe.

“We are in the midst of an ambitious initiative to survey every neighbourhood in the country, to determine the crime and disorder priorities from the community perspective and we call this the “neighbourhood viewpoint,” the IG said.

According to him, the basic task of law and order confronting the force, though enormous, are surmountable. He added that it only required qualitative leadership and partnership with relevant agencies and the citizenry.

“The system is fluid and thus allows personnel to function in all departments of the force without really being able to have a good knowledge and understanding of the function of any of the units,” the IG stated, noting that the force under his leadership would be re-assessed and a new stratification mapped out and officers and men posted to departments, units according to their flair, capabilities and competence.

He said all state police commissioners would be expected to submit comprehensive written security reports of their commands and would be questioned by the IG on crimes committed in their respective commands as well as the public perception in their state.

He said there would be a standard operating procedure that must be followed by all policemen in their day-to-day activities as police officers must ensure uniformity in the way they carry out their duties.

The IG disagreed with the popular notion that the police were underfunded, saying it was the budgeting system of the force that was faulty.

A number of security watchers are, however, pessimistic about Abubakar’s ability to carry out the reforms he highlighted as they argued that he might succumb to the rot, corruption and complacency that has turned the force to a lethargic security organisation that could not secure even its own headquarters. Only time will tell whether the new police helmsman will leave the saddle with ovation or go the way of his most recent predecessors.