'Whose police? the high class? middle class or low class?

The Nigeria Police Insignia

‘ police is your friend!’... thus reads the popular police mantra in Nigeria; however, even a stranger to the Nigerian experience can observe the wanton hatred, mistrust and indifference that exists between the ordinary Nigerian Citizenry and the Nigeria police.

Across the hierarchy of the Nigerian citizenry, police escorts are a common sight among top government functionaries and the High class cadre of the society. The rest are seen strewn around road blocks on the highways, barracks and police stations around the country.

A few years back, a top ranking Nigeria police official did make an analysis that of the over 300,000 thousand strong Nigeria Police force,  about a100,000 are attached to top Government functionaries and members of the high class while the rest citizenry is policed by 2/3rds of the force (‘a statement of underpolicing’). The question now is whose police is the Nigeria police force? The High class and top government functionaries or the ordinary citizenry or both?

Across the Nigerian security paraphenelia which includes the State Security Service(SSS); the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); the Defence Intelligence Agency(DIA); The Nigeria Armed forces (Army, Airforce and Navy); the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); the Nigeria Police force is the one that has day to day dealings with the populace. To this effect, it holds to its creed ‘a reverence for all human life, safeguarding the guarantees of the Nigerian constitution as its modus operandi. Indeed, the police is the embodiment of the law; it is the Nigerian Constitution in person.

As the largest peopled and cultural diverse black nation on the planet, the question of security allegiances begs the question in a religious, cultural and ethnic diverse nation like Nigeria. Severally, the question of who provides the best security to the citizenry has been argued with the adventure of ethno-militia groups like the (OPC, Egbesu boys, Bakassi boys etc), Political god fathers and mothers, religious figures (whether pastors, traditionalist or Imams) or even private security outfits. At what point does the roles of these unstately security outfits conflict with that of the state? Obviously both the government and the ordinary citizenry are at a loss to answer.

As Nigerians, you don’t need to be told that you need your personal security back up. An industrialist once remarked that in Nigeria, everyone is a personal government in that everyone/household provides electricity, security, water and in some cases have to maintain neighbourhood roads! Of all social issues, security is germane in the minds of everyone especially with the wave of Kidnappings, terrorist attacks, armed robbery, among all other social ills. The police force was specifically set up to tackle this but a loopholed performance by the force has caused the ordinary Nigerian citizenry to resort to other means of protection.

As Nigeria grapples with wanton security challenges, a call for state/community has been argued for in some quarters. Whatever the case is, it is clear that the police cannot be successful in achieving their mission without the involvement of the people they serve. Crime solving is not only the police’s problem; it is every citizen’s problem. Indeed, a functional middle class is key to achieving community policing sucess, for logic makes it clear that it is better to prevent a crime than to put resources into motion when the deed has already been done. Such operational responses will result in an improved quality of life and a reduction in the fear that is generated by both the reality and perception of crime especially among the ordinary citizenry (lower and middle class).

Talking about the Nigeria Police and crime, the incessant news of them being outgunned in action raises a cause for suspicion. Something must be wrong somewhere! Or how else can one explain the proliferation of light and medium weaponry in the wrong hands? Of all the department of the Nigeria police force, the 'D' Department (Force Criminal Investigation department) has in its tasks the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), X-Squad, Special Fraud Unit, Foriensic science, Anti-Human trafficking et al, and if their responsiblities are charged to the limits, the crime rate in Nigeria would be abated in no small measure. A proper utilization of security sophistication mordern technology affords in the feild of intelligence gathering through CCTV’s and foriensic technology will help the police abate crime in no small measure.

It should be noted that the personalization of the National security paraphenelia (especially the Nigeria Police) by the Nigerian gentry is detrimental to the social fabric of Nigeria.

A situation where every government functionary ranging Ministers, Special Advisers, commissioners, permanent secretaries and even at times their relatives have at least 2 police escorts, is dealing a fatal blow to the Nigerian societal fabric. With an already poverty stricken majority lower class an almost non existent middle class and the all sufficient upper class, the Nigeria police risks being completely overwhelmed with security challenges and turned to a ‘mere private security outfit’. The Nigeria Police Force must live up to its task of providing security for the entire Nigerian citizenry and not for the Nigerian gentry alone.

AN IMPLODING SYRIA: IMPLICATIONS

AN IMPLODING SYRIA: IMPLICATIONS

‘In a guerrilla war the rebels only have not to lose to win; however, unless a regular army is clearly winning, it will lose.’-- Henry Kissinger (Former US Secretary of State).

When Syria caught up with the warmth of the Arab spring in March 2011, all thought it would be a matter of days/weeks as seen in Tunisia then calm will return back to the streets of Dimashq.

Instead, the Syrian scenario has defied all prescriptions of top UN diplomats in Kofi Annan who after several unsuccessful mediations had to resign. Then came Lakhdar Brahimi as the new UN envoy to Syria; but he had to admit the tough task ahead of him when he clearly spelt out that the Syrian crises was turning to a civil conflict.

Indeed, what started as a solidarity Arab spring protest in Deraa ended up being fatal on the 22^nd of April 2011, when 72 protesters were killed by security forces firing on protesters. Since then, mass killings have been a common show piece in all concerning Syria. From Jisr al-Shughour, Jabal al-Zawiya, Homs, Aleppo, Houla, Darayya to Baniyas et al; it’s been a common story of fatalities with the Syrian Government trading the blame on ‘armed gangs’ (Syrian rebel groups) as being responsible.

Whilst reports from Syria are most times independently unverifiable, it’s common consensus that the Syrian crises has reached a destructive peak as seen in the streams of refugees pouring into refugee camps in Jordan and Turkey. Estimated figures put the Syrian war causalities at 70,000 dead and over a million refugees. With the parties to the conflict bickering unendingly, casualty and fatality figures will continue to soar at an already seeming detriment to the future of Syria and the ever volatile Middle East.

Most intriguing and despicable to the unending conflict are the several unseemly proxy actions of world and regional powers who for reasons best known to their foreign policy interest have helped continue the Syrian conflict in full blast. What started as a heavy government response to protesters, led to army defections, suicide blasts, foreign linked fighters and recently and Al-Queda connection all of which does have a devastating imploding effect on Syria.

Whilst the Syrian conflict itself has been self destroying, the question of arming rebel groups is a conscience quiz in the hearts of the war weary western powers. With the ripples of Afghanistan and Iraq still fresh, there’s definitely not going to be any ‘western boot on the ground’. Arming the rebels is another teaser! And the question is who are they? On one hand is the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) who most powers (regional and western) have recognized as the legitimate Syrian government and on the other hand is the Free Syrian Army (a loose network of armed men fighting against the government). The shocker to the Syrian opposition is the incoherence of the opposition on both the political and military fronts. In fact, one may borrow the descriptive parlance of the Syrian government which refers to them as ‘Armed gangs’- A loose network of renegade soldiers, ‘men with guns’, foreign fighters and jihadists as represented by the Al-Nusra front who have only recently announced their cohesion into the main Al-Queda body. It’s obvious that though the opposition (political and military) are united against the Assad regime, the same cannot be said of their ideologies!

Another intrigue to the conflict is Syria’s vast stock piles of Chemical weapons. Known to be a deterrent to Israel, there are fears about it falling into unsafe hands. Most bothered about this is Israel who among other things, fear a massive armament of Hezbollah with ‘game changing weapons’. The US has since said any use of Chemical weapons will in effect demonstrate the crossing of a ‘red line’. Israel has since carried out series of air strikes on Syrian targets and what it believes are weapon being transferred to Hezbollah

Israeli Jets setting off to hit Syrian targets Source: BBC news

Hezbollah draws a multidimensional issue to the conflict. Already, it’s no more news that its fighters are actively engaged in the Syrian conflict providing much needed man power for Assad’s forces. That role in itself is another complex whole! Hezbollah is a Lebanon based Shiite militia wholly funded by Syria and Iran to provide much needed home aggression to the Zionist enemy-Israel. With its fighters actively engaged in the Syria and Israeli planes taking to the skies to hunt targets, it might just be a matter of time before Israel is dragged to a full scale war with whom? Maybe Hezbollah, but the battle ground would definitely be wider this time around. It will strew from southern Lebanon to Syria and with a Shiite led government already in place in an unstable Iraq, it might just provide the needed base for a regional conflict between Israel and ‘Greater Hezbollah’ (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran). An already brewing sectarian conflict between the dominant minority Alawite offshoot of Shia Islam and the majority Sunnis cannot be brushed aside too.

A conflict laden Syria amid her conflict sensitive neighbours Source: BBC news

The indecision of western powers in arming the opposition must be given some thoughts; or how else will the Syrian scenario look with Assad out of power and lots of arms in the street with no decisive central government? The Iraqi situation answers the question.

On a critical note is the humanitarian dimension of the Syrian conflict. Whilst it has in itself been self destroying in terms of social and cultural infrastructure, Syrian males continue to provide the man power for the fighting, and Syrian females due to worsening economic situation caused by the conflict, are into haphazard marriage contracts where rich Arab males pay heavy bride prices for Syrian ladies in order to provide much needed funds for survival of the already dismembered Syrian families. Sadly such females end up in unhappy/ slave marriages.

It’s sad to write about the unfolding Syrian quagmire. One only hopes that the talk between the US and Russian foreign secretaries yield positive actions, else the third world war alert will shift from the activities in the Korean peninsula to the Middle East!