Arguments for and against a strike by "Law enforcement officers" abound. Those in government and high places are naturally terrified of a strike by law enforcement agents. They will be stripped bare of their warm cloak of protection and be at the mercy of robbers and hoodlums like ordinary citizens, so of course they can not countenance the thought of a strike.
The argument follows that there will be widespread chaos and civil disobedience with the absence of security personnel on the streets and in extreme cases there will be a breakdown of society with unimaginable consequences. The events in Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein gives one an idea of the possibilities in the event of a strike
On the other hand, have the authorities thought to ask why police officers are striking? These are obviously a conscientious bunch of individuals (or may be not) who are fighting for survival in a society where they are increasingly disenfranchised and disillusioned.
They are also victims of corruption within and without the system as the recent PEF scandal goes to show.
The police force needs to be revamped before the country descends into complete chaos. Change does not happen overnight and has to come from the top.
The problems of the police force are legion but sadly all boil down to corruption, poor leadership and lack of job satisfaction
Give policemen proper training and equipment, reasonable remuneration, transparent career progression and a sense of pride. Provide a good quality welfare package, decent housing and healthcare then you should expect if not demand to see an improvement in the quality of the NPF.
It is not rocket science that if a member of an organisation feels nurtured and valued the outcome is a sense of duty and responsibility which will be manifest in increased productivity.
Not every single police officer is a bad egg (you may differ in opinion here) but how do you honestly expect a law enforcement officer not to resort to bribery and intimidation on N9500 a month when he is surrounded by greed, corruption and the flamboyant lifestyles of several so called pillars of society? It is expected in informal circles that a police officer will supplement his meagre income by resorting to extortion. That is why the masses are voicing misplaced support of strike action by the NPF in the belief that they will be free from the routine harassment and extortion of these individual
If indeed the wind of change blows and the NPF is revamped for the better, there will be no mercy and indeed no sympathy for a police officer who is found guilty of corruption or extortion.
How many people in good paying jobs resort to jeopardising their careers with N20 bribes on a daily basis?
So please before we castigate the NPF we should remember they are simply a reflection of the society at large, we should put pressure on the government to improve the lot of the NPF and indeed Nigerians as a whole.
Based on an original article from the Nigerian Punch
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