THE Nigeria Police with its rather quick succession of Inspectors General of Police (IGPs) should be working hard to stabilise itself and reassure the Nigerian public that it is still a credible force. The security situation in Nigeria is discouraging. Some states in the federation are being ravaged by sectarian violence. The Niger Delta militants are still not fully pacified. Kidnapping for ransom although reduced nevertheless continues to pose a hazard in an election year. Allied to the sad tales of kidnapping are the countless murders being committed in various parts of the country. In September 2007, we published a list of some 35 high profile murders, none of which had been solved. Since then the list has grown longer but the resolution rate has stubbornly remained at zero. The new IGP, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, appears alive to the shortcomings of the Nigeria Police. He has taken the issue of security as a major challenge for his officers and men. Addressing senior police officers recently in Abuja the IGP said that the menace of the Boko Haram sect in Borno and Bauchi states as well as the upheaval in Jos, Plateau State, would be over in a short time. He pointed out that with the provision by the federal government of additional 450 vehicles and motorcycles, his men are poised to immediately respond to crisis situations, but more importantly, he hinted that the intelligence-gathering capabilities of the police have been enhanced. Mr. Ringim was quite up-beat about the rejuvenated Nigeria Police under his command. He observed that with the injection of more than one thousand new Cadet Assistant Superintendents of Police into the force, along with additional equipment, his men have no reason to fail in their mission. He also spoke of a cadre of officers who have been specially trained on forensics and whose expertise will come in handy in fighting high profile crimes such as kidnapping, politically motivated killings and other criminal acts. Speaking in relation to the forthcoming general elections, he said that the police is determined to ensure that the election will be free and fair. He commented that the just concluded party primaries have shown the police to be dispassionate and even-handed in their actions. He was almost certain that the detachment shown by the police will carry through to the elections. He also revealed that the federal government had made available more than N15 billion to the Nigeria Police to purchase equipment and other necessary logistics with a view to ensuring a successful general election in April. The sum also includes the cost of retraining of policemen and the payment of allowances for men and women of the force who will be taking part in the general elections. The police and indeed all arms of government should be encouraged to do a good job. Our worry is that the federal government appears to habitually operate in an adhoc manner. We have known since the unspeakable general elections of 2007 that another election will take place in 2011. Neither the government nor the legislators appeared to take cognisance of this fact. Life continued merrily until our leaders awoke to the realisation that time was short and they began running helter-skelter, voting monies without due consideration in order to beat a deadline induced by a lack of forethought. The N15 billion now released to the Nigeria Police three months before a general election follows the same careless pattern of expenditure. Worse still, the police may not be the only ones applying for grants before we are done with the forthcoming general election. We can think of other groups like the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, the State Security Services, the militants and perhaps even the traditional rulers. Put together the cost of running the forthcoming general election may rank as one of the highest in the world. On a per capita basis Nigeria already outspends India. For recurring programmes, such as a general election every four years,there ought to be a reasoned and approved budget for the exercise. The aim of a budget is to foster a culture of prudence and discipline and to link expenditure with activity. We seem unable to do this. Instead, we spend money on a whim, and as long as the job is tolerably done, we do not even insist on accountability. The consequences of unbridled spending are gradually leading us into insolvency as our internal and external reserves are dwindling. For the police, we hope they will use the new money to help the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conduct a free and fair election. There is so much tension in the country already that they will have to muster all their resources in order to succeed. Marshalling their men across 120,000 polling stations is not going to be a walk in the park. We shall reserve judgement on their performance until after the conclusion of the voting exercise.
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