Edwin Clark VS Nigeria Police Force and the Infamous Sack
The Nigeria Police Force is a security institution saddled with constitutional responsibility of protecting lives, properties and maintaining order. The police force in the last two years has come under serious scrutiny from the general public.
One of such instance is the outrage that greeted the conduct of the Special Anti- Robbery Squad [SARS]. The complaints from well-meaning Nigerians brought about the much desired reform on the order of the vice president professor Yemi Osibanjo. Another action that brought rains of condemnation against the police is the force perceived meddling in party politics. The blockade of the Benue State House of Assembly remains a sad conduct in Nigeria contemporary democratic history. Therefore the credibility, neutrality, efficiency and professionalism of the police force will continue to come under close scrutiny by the public until the institution get its act right as constitutionally expected.
Let me use this medium to also state that the Nigeria Police force with limited manpower, welfare system and inadequate logistics continues to carry out tremendous security operations which is also highly commendable.
Nevertheless, the search on Pa Edwin Clarks house has raised concerns and debate. As an elder statesman who have served and continuous to serve the nation in several capacity some people are of the opinion as to why his residence should be searched!
I am not oblivious to Pa Clarks status and service to Nigeria but with all due respect I choose to differ with those voices that question the audacity and importance of conducting a search in his house. Nobody is above the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not even the President. And in matters of critical issue like national security the supremacy of the law will always take preeminence above individual status. What people should be concerned with is if the search was in tandem with the rules of policing. Was the search carried out professionally? Did the officers in question threaten or harass Pa Edwin Clark? Was there a search warrant? Who authorized the search? Did the officers act in anticipatory defense of national security or are their other underlying issues behind their actions? Anyone can choose to disagree with me but emotions and sentiments aside these are the most logical and salient questions. The said search was because of alleged cache of ammunitions and if we weigh the gravity of what a single weapon can cause then we can understand that it is not alien for security institutions to carryout raids.
Notwithstanding, three police officers were dismissed by the Inspector General of Police because of the search. As a concerned Nigerian I strongly feel that these police officers were harshly dismissed. I urge the affected officers to challenge their dismissal and seek redress within the ambit of the law. I also urge the Inspector General of Police to reconsider his decision of dismissing the three officers because it will kill the moral of personnel in the force from discharging their duties when a matter of grave concerns involves the elite in the society.
Police the world over get information and not all tips are credible. Even in America and United Kingdom police engage in search and raids, not all operations turns out successful. Should we then dismissed our officers for every failed search when the affected individual is well privileged? How equipped is our police personnel in handling information? How often do the police subject information to the intelligence cycle before acting?
The Nigeria police should always take responsibility for their actions and inactions. However, I commend the police for their patriotic service and I sincerely applaud Pa Edwin Clark for the manner he handled the situation as well as his excellent conflict resolution and mediation efforts in ensuring peace in Niger Delta in particular and Nigeria at large.
God bless and long live The Federal Republic of Nigeria.
KELECHI CHINAKA is a knowledge contributor in National and International Affairs. Contact me via kelechinaka@gmail.com your criticism, opinions, contributions and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Edwin Clark VS Nigeria Police Force and the Infamous Sack
The Nigeria Police Force is a security institution saddled with constitutional responsibility of protecting lives, properties and maintaining order. The police force in the last two years has come under serious scrutiny from the general public.
One of such instance is the outrage that greeted the conduct of the Special Anti- Robbery Squad [SARS]. The complaints from well-meaning Nigerians brought about the much desired reform on the order of the vice president professor Yemi Osibanjo. Another action that brought rains of condemnation against the police is the force perceived meddling in party politics. The blockade of the Benue State House of Assembly remains a sad conduct in Nigeria contemporary democratic history. Therefore the credibility, neutrality, efficiency and professionalism of the police force will continue to come under close scrutiny by the public until the institution get its act right as constitutionally expected.
Let me use this medium to also state that the Nigeria Police force with limited manpower, welfare system and inadequate logistics continues to carry out tremendous security operations which is also highly commendable.
Nevertheless, the search on Pa Edwin Clarks house has raised concerns and debate. As an elder statesman who have served and continuous to serve the nation in several capacity some people are of the opinion as to why his residence should be searched!
I am not oblivious to Pa Clarks status and service to Nigeria but with all due respect I choose to differ with those voices that question the audacity and importance of conducting a search in his house. Nobody is above the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not even the President. And in matters of critical issue like national security the supremacy of the law will always take preeminence above individual status. What people should be concerned with is if the search was in tandem with the rules of policing. Was the search carried out professionally? Did the officers in question threaten or harass Pa Edwin Clark? Was there a search warrant? Who authorized the search? Did the officers act in anticipatory defense of national security or are their other underlying issues behind their actions? Anyone can choose to disagree with me but emotions and sentiments aside these are the most logical and salient questions. The said search was because of alleged cache of ammunitions and if we weigh the gravity of what a single weapon can cause then we can understand that it is not alien for security institutions to carryout raids.
Notwithstanding, three police officers were dismissed by the Inspector General of Police because of the search. As a concerned Nigerian I strongly feel that these police officers were harshly dismissed. I urge the affected officers to challenge their dismissal and seek redress within the ambit of the law. I also urge the Inspector General of Police to reconsider his decision of dismissing the three officers because it will kill the moral of personnel in the force from discharging their duties when a matter of grave concerns involves the elite in the society.
Police the world over get information and not all tips are credible. Even in America and United Kingdom police engage in search and raids, not all operations turns out successful. Should we then dismissed our officers for every failed search when the affected individual is well privileged? How equipped is our police personnel in handling information? How often do the police subject information to the intelligence cycle before acting?
The Nigeria police should always take responsibility for their actions and inactions. However, I commend the police for their patriotic service and I sincerely applaud Pa Edwin Clark for the manner he handled the situation as well as his excellent conflict resolution and mediation efforts in ensuring peace in Niger Delta in particular and Nigeria at large.
God bless and long live The Federal Republic of Nigeria.
KELECHI CHINAKA is a knowledge contributor in National and International Affairs. Contact me via kelechinaka@gmail.com your criticism, opinions, contributions and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

’800 METERES’ THE PRESIDENTIAL TREK
Mr Adeniyi Osas have you heard of the historic great trek? Sir, is it the great trek that took place in South Africa? Far from that I am talking about the 800 metres trek of the number one citizen of Nigeria. In the euphoria of the Sallah celebration Mr President embarked on a festive visit to Daura his home town. He decided to take a break from the norm thus, after the close of the prayers and in an unusual fashion he shelved the idea of riding home in his exquisite motorcade and decided to take a walk from the praying ground to his house which is said to be 800 metres long.
During the presidential walk the traditional thunderous cheers of ‘Sai Baba’ from the good people of Daura filled the air. The supporters were elated with joy, the president’s smile and hand gestures showed equal reciprocity in terms of appreciation and happiness. The president truly enjoyed the walk as it enabled him to interact closely with the people. He was so close to the people he could almost feel their heartbeat as he walked majestically to his house. It looked more like a fashion show in Milan or Paris as the people watched with great admiration.
Hmmm; Sir you made mention of closer interaction with the people during the ensuing walk is interaction the cogent reason behind the walk? Well Osas for Mr President to shun the customary waving and acknowledgement of cheers from supporters from the comfort of his car it is a diplomatic means of communication and interaction and a way of telling the people that he is one of them regardless of the privileges at his disposal or position. It is also plausible that there may be other reasons for this particular walk. Lest we forget, there have been ongoing debates about the health of Mr President especially since his decision to seek re-election in 2019. The image makers and inner circles of the number one citizen have said countless time that Mr President is ready and very fit. The presidency also reiterated how fit the president is after the famous 800 metres walk.
Do you think some metres walk should be used as a yardstick for good health especially with the ever demanding nature of governance in Nigeria? Well Mr Adeniyi the answer to this your question is neither here nor there and it is not definitive in my opinion. But I will say that for a man above 70 to walk in such a fashion he is certainly telling you he is ready for the job ahead. Considering his age and if the claim of his physical fitness is positive what about his mental fitness? On that, I certainly feel we need more than a walk to prove the mental fitness for any individual including you and I. therefore I feel it is discriminatory in nature if we single the number one citizen for continuous medical check if we don’t extend it to other political office holders and seekers. We have seen younger political leaders making decision and statements that even suggest that the so called mental test should be carried out on all persons seeking to lead Nigerian people. Don’t also forget that before you declare someone unfit you need to have their medical records and there must be a clear judgement by medical experts with regard to the mental status of an individual. However, Mr President’s bold walk seems more like a commercial advertisement for Johnnie walker. Nevertheless, and on a more serious note I still feel that president Mohammadu Buhari (GCFR) is very patriotic and desirous of the betterment of the Nigerian project but his ability to do so is what I don’t know. Also I cannot state with strong affirmation if he is a great economic administrator.
Why even the dust about 800 metres walk? Nigerians walk several metres daily so why emphasize this trek like it is an achievement for the government. It is far from been a tangible achievement for the Nigerian people although it can be classified as a miscellaneous record for the image makers of the president as the project him positively for democratic showdown in 2019. To me, this 800 metres presidential trek/walk is a wakeup call and a lesson for all Nigerians because if the president can walk that long there should be nothing stopping all Nigerians from trekking more than 800 metres and making efforts in getting their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC’S) if that is the case. We should also endeavour to vote credible political leaders at all level of government. Your vote remains your loudest verdict in a democracy.
‘if you don’t have anybody under you to lead then lead yourself positively the society will be better for it’
Long live Nigeria and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

KELECHI CHINAKA is knowledge contributor in national and international affairs feel free to contact me via kelechinaka@gmail.com your questions, opinions and criticisms will be greatly appreciated.

’800 METERES’ THE PRESIDENTIAL TREK
Mr Adeniyi Osas have you heard of the historic great trek? Sir, is it the great trek that took place in South Africa? Far from that I am talking about the 800 metres trek of the number one citizen of Nigeria. In the euphoria of the Sallah celebration Mr President embarked on a festive visit to Daura his home town. He decided to take a break from the norm thus, after the close of the prayers and in an unusual fashion he shelved the idea of riding home in his exquisite motorcade and decided to take a walk from the praying ground to his house which is said to be 800 metres long.
During the presidential walk the traditional thunderous cheers of ‘Sai Baba’ from the good people of Daura filled the air. The supporters were elated with joy, the president’s smile and hand gestures showed equal reciprocity in terms of appreciation and happiness. The president truly enjoyed the walk as it enabled him to interact closely with the people. He was so close to the people he could almost feel their heartbeat as he walked majestically to his house. It looked more like a fashion show in Milan or Paris as the people watched with great admiration.
Hmmm; Sir you made mention of closer interaction with the people during the ensuing walk is interaction the cogent reason behind the walk? Well Osas for Mr President to shun the customary waving and acknowledgement of cheers from supporters from the comfort of his car it is a diplomatic means of communication and interaction and a way of telling the people that he is one of them regardless of the privileges at his disposal or position. It is also plausible that there may be other reasons for this particular walk. Lest we forget, there have been ongoing debates about the health of Mr President especially since his decision to seek re-election in 2019. The image makers and inner circles of the number one citizen have said countless time that Mr President is ready and very fit. The presidency also reiterated how fit the president is after the famous 800 metres walk.
Do you think some metres walk should be used as a yardstick for good health especially with the ever demanding nature of governance in Nigeria? Well Mr Adeniyi the answer to this your question is neither here nor there and it is not definitive in my opinion. But I will say that for a man above 70 to walk in such a fashion he is certainly telling you he is ready for the job ahead. Considering his age and if the claim of his physical fitness is positive what about his mental fitness? On that, I certainly feel we need more than a walk to prove the mental fitness for any individual including you and I. therefore I feel it is discriminatory in nature if we single the number one citizen for continuous medical check if we don’t extend it to other political office holders and seekers. We have seen younger political leaders making decision and statements that even suggest that the so called mental test should be carried out on all persons seeking to lead Nigerian people. Don’t also forget that before you declare someone unfit you need to have their medical records and there must be a clear judgement by medical experts with regard to the mental status of an individual. However, Mr President’s bold walk seems more like a commercial advertisement for Johnnie walker. Nevertheless, and on a more serious note I still feel that president Mohammadu Buhari (GCFR) is very patriotic and desirous of the betterment of the Nigerian project but his ability to do so is what I don’t know. Also I cannot state with strong affirmation if he is a great economic administrator.
Why even the dust about 800 metres walk? Nigerians walk several metres daily so why emphasize this trek like it is an achievement for the government. It is far from been a tangible achievement for the Nigerian people although it can be classified as a miscellaneous record for the image makers of the president as the project him positively for democratic showdown in 2019. To me, this 800 metres presidential trek/walk is a wakeup call and a lesson for all Nigerians because if the president can walk that long there should be nothing stopping all Nigerians from trekking more than 800 metres and making efforts in getting their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC’S) if that is the case. We should also endeavour to vote credible political leaders at all level of government. Your vote remains your loudest verdict in a democracy.
‘if you don’t have anybody under you to lead then lead yourself positively the society will be better for it’
Long live Nigeria and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

KELECHI CHINAKA is knowledge contributor in national and international affairs feel free to contact me via kelechinaka@gmail.com your questions, opinions and criticisms will be greatly appreciated.