IGP Egbetokun and the leadership acumen (Part 2) – Dr Muiz Banire

(Published in Leadership 7th November 2024)

It in this regard that I have some commendations for the Inspector General of Police who has, in further proof of his sterling records of brilliant performance in policing in Nigeria, has directed immediate investigation into this matter, probe the persons involved in the alleged malnutrition of the children and has embarked on salutary efforts towards capacity enhancement of his men when it comes to legal matters particularly, prosecution of children offenders and treatment of suspects.

The Inspector General deserves kudos for these immediate steps as, contrary to the police force that we used to know that would display institutional arrogance and insensitivity, he has decided not to treat this issue as a mere irregularity or simple mistake so as to instill confidence in the public. The truth is that no human being has monopoly of wisdom or knowledge; the sin however is where such gap is observed and not remedied. Quite unusually, he. Has demonstrated that which is lacking in other high ranking public officials, who would rather grandstand than acknowledge the limit of their knowledge and enhance it. The humility and reaction is legendary.

The IGP has said that taxpayers’ funds ought to be carefully and judiciously utilized so that the accusation of recklessness and wastage that has become a constant song against public officers would recede to the background. I align with this gentleman in this regard as his efforts to enhance the capacity of his men by institutionalizing training and re-training programmes within its rank-and-file ought to be copied by other agencies of government, particularly in circumstances of this nature.

This effort ought to be supported by everyone in the police force, and the government must give it the necessary backing. The judiciary too has a lesson to learn. It is important for our judges to know their jurisdictional limits and the Chief Judges of the various courts ought to take serious cognizance of this.

The precious judicial time spent attending to this matter could have been wisely expended on other matters. The executive and the legislature are the most important to tighten their belts here. Something is wrong with a system whose children are at liberty to roam the streets unattended to in the name of being out of school.

Children that are supposed to be the future of the country cannot be allowed to take their choices unguarded. When adolescents have the liberty to choose between the future and now, tendency is that they will choose now and leave the future to take care of itself. The consequence is that they will become a liability and unmitigated disasters to the society that has abandoned them to their wild fantasies.

What happened during the Endsars protests in Lagos and other places and the vandalism that characterized the latest protests against the government are nothing but a condemnation of our collective whole. Which society tolerates brigandage, vandalism and allows its youths to destroy its assets in the name of protest?

Which society builds an army of irresponsible youths and expect to reap responsible adults. The implication is that the system itself would be characterized as irresponsible and rudderless if it allows its future to be untamed by ignorance and raw energy unleashed towards self-destruction.

The hordes of almajiris in the various parts of the north do not only constitute an eyesore but a nuclear energy which already is destroying our collective. Leaders should stop playing the ostrich and address the problems the system has created which is now a problem for their people and the rest of the country. If not for irresponsibility in governance, how would the leaders of the north be happy and comfortable with the horrors of boko haram, banditry and other bloody terrorist groups killing and maiming the children of the masses?

How would they be happy that terrorists are sharing governance with them by controlling some local governments while the Governors too are presiding over a fraction of their States? This is a problem created over the years by the previous leaders and which ought to be rectified with utmost urgency. It is not enough for us to condemn the government at the center, the police and the judiciary, if what the government in the various States are doing cannot guarantee peace and security for all.