The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mr. Parry Osayande, on Monday described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, the Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency as “white elephant security agencies.”



He argued at the opening of a three-day biennial retreat by the PSC in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State , that the funds that could have been used to strengthen the Nigeria Police Force were expended on the creation and sustenance of the EFCC, ICPC , NDLEA and the NSCDC.



Osayande whose views were shared by the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Adamu Waziri, therefore, blamed government for the failure of the police to provide security in the nation.



The PSC Chairman said that the proliferation of security agencies in the country had undermined the effectiveness of the police and led to frequent frictions amongst the security agencies over issues of mandate and jurisdiction.



He said, “The NPF has been found to be desperately wanting in supporting successive administrations in fulfilling the primary purpose of governance. The situation is further compounded by the same government by assenting to needless proliferation of parallel security agencies in the country.



“These include the EFCC, the ICPC, FRSC, NSCDC, NDLEA, and so on. Consequently, the scarce resources that could have been used to strengthen the various organs of the NPF for effective performance, were expended in creating and sustaining these white elephant security agencies. This has led to frictions amongst them over issues of mandate and jurisdiction.”



Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, also noted that the NPF suffered lack during the 30 years of military rule in the country.



He added that the Force was made to enforce two sets of law: one for the rich and the other for the poor.



But the Minister of Interior, Capt Emmanuel Iheanacho (retd.), disagreed with Osayande, saying that the EFCC and other agencies play specialised roles.



He argued that it would be impossible to manage the security agencies if they were under one umbrella.



Iheanacho urged the streamlining of information from different agencies and better management of security reports.



He said that there was the need the security agencies to cooperate instead of competing.



In his speech at the PSC organised retreat titled “Repositioning the Nigeria Police Force for the challenges of policing a democratic society in the 21st century and beyond,” Waziri said that Nigeria did not need a plethora of security agencies.



He explained that the recommendations of the Police Reform Committee were being implemented for the purpose of repositioning the Force.



According to him, the commission has introduced a new scheme of service for the specialist cadre in the force and had addressed issues of irregular promotions.



The minister, who said that the nation did not need the huge number of uniformed security agencies, argued that the police were the pre-eminent organisation in charge of internal security which other agencies must collaborate with.



He said that every security agency had a stake in policing matters.



Waziri said, “Too many hands, they say spoil the broth. All the men in uniform should join hands together; the success of one is the success of all. Unless there is peaceful environment, all of us are imperilled.”



The minister stated that the police were critical to the sustenance of democracy and free poll and warned that no Nigerian should be made to die in the forthcoming general elections.



He explained that the reform in the police started about five months ago, but added that it was not possible to “return it (police ) to the glory of 27 year ago.”



Waziri also said that the Federal Government had ordered three helicopters and protective gears to tackle kidnapping and other crimes in the country.



He said, “For the police to be reformed and repositioned, all Nigerians must be stakeholders. If you see a policeman committing an offence, report. In other parts of the world, where we quote statistics, the citizens don’t bolt their doors when crimes are being committed, they raise alarm.



“Nigerians must provide police raw data to checkmate criminality. The deterioration of the police has made us not to report because they will harass you, but now, they can’t because we are in democracy. Police must accept reform, there must be attitudinal change, and they must open up to reform.”



The Chairman of the retreat, Mr. Fidelis Oyakhilome, said that the police may need to be “democratised” to successfully police a democratic society.



He said although orders , the leadership at all levels should not assume a monopoly of knowledge and skills.



Oyakhilome, who is the first chairman of the NDLEA and a retired DIG, explained that the police leadership cannot afford to operate the way it did under autocratic regimes



“It should be admitted that a successful repositioning is based on the foundation of effectiveness and efficiency which ensures continuous existence and relevance, otherwise, the repositioning may be an exercise in futility, “ he said.



EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi could not be reached for comments as he did not respond to several calls to his GSM line.



Also a text message sent to him did not elicit any response.



The ICPC media consultant, Tolu Olamiti, could not reached as a man who picked his phone said he was in a meeting.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101102431129

It’s rather shameful and out of igorance or better still lack of knowledge of Nigeria sociopolitical dimentions that a so called highly placed individuals will make such a calculated statement to question the rational of creating agencies that is helping to shape our complex society Nigeria. It’s not everyone in highly placed position need to be heard rather only to be seen. We have to always remember that these agencies are in their infancy they are making inroads but alot is yet to be seen.