Public offi cials are always in the eye of the storm.
A monitoring eye is no doubt a veritable tool for exerting diligence and effi ciency from true leaders; it keeps them on their toes, gives them a new sense of vigor to accomplish far beyond public expectations and sets them on the part of history.
Even though the public is sometimes like children, the more good you bring them, the more they demand for more.
Still, serious leaders requite these attentions and refi ne them into the energy that fi res them into consolidating their positive gains and providing a template for those coming behind to work with.
Most times, nobody considers the good work of leaders worthy of commendation but the moment they fail even in the most forgivable of their duties, they are brought under fi re and torn into shreds with vituperations and aspersion; the press, civil society groups and international agencies will come down hard on them with no let and no restraint at the slightest provocation but remain mute when they excel at their duties.
Although, true leaders do not care for commendation, they are born for duty and they derive pleasure from working their angle of the governance machine to deliver succor to the populace, still, it will be gracefully energizing to commend them for diligence, sometimes.
Against this background, the police under Ibrahim Idris haven shouldered so much criticism in the past justly or unjustly, deserve lots of commendation for its series of policing novelty that has continued to return back the hitherto damaged faith fabric to the Nigerian Police.
When Ibrahim Idris took over as the IG of police, he inherited an institution so low on morale, professionalism, probity, transparency, diligence and effi ciency.
To be fair, it will be foolhardy to pretend that the IG was unaware of the dark spots that are spread all over the Nigerian police, seeing that he has been part of the institution all along.
But he must be credited with the presence of mind to transform that perspicacity into action; action that has brought so much to the force in so short a time.
Th is is not discountenancing the factors that make policing Nigeria an unnecessarily hard job, which if taken into perspective, make the police chief even more worthy of commendation.
For instance, the Nigeria police are grossly undermanned with unoffi cial fi gures suggesting a ratio of over 1000 Nigerians to a police offi cer as against the international standard of at most 20 people to an offi cer.
Th e penchant of police offi cers to be high handed in the execution of their duties adds a dark cloud into the mix.
Without having to dwell on every little achievement of the Nigeria police boss since he was announced as the IG, it will be impossible not take notice of many crunch decisions of his that are repositioning the force for excellence.
From his choice of lieutenants for important tasks, to his decisions to promote offi cers long overdue and to recognize for advancement, educational certificates secured on the job by his offi cers; everything that IG of police Ibrahim Idris touched has turned to gold.
Needless to say it has jump-started the ebbing morale of the men and women of the Nigeria police.
ACP Abba Kyari and his SRS team only recently apprehended Nigeria’s all time, most notorious kidnap kingpin, Mr. Chidumeme Onwuamadike, a.k. a Evans, after many years unfettered freedom.
Following that arrest, the IGP ordered special promotion for all 32 detectives of the SRS and TIU units to help boost their morale and encourage them to do more.
With the morale sky high and buoyed by this special recognition, the crackdown on the dreadful kidnap and armed robbery syndicates operating between Abuja, Niger and Kaduna states have seen a kind of vigor not always associated with the Nigeria police in years past.
Almost on a daily basis, suspects are caught and paraded sometimes in full military regalia and a full complement of the weapons they use in perpetuating their reign of terror.
Earlier, the Nigeria police in February freed Professor Peter Breunig, a German archeologist, kidnapped by criminals in southern Kaduna and his associate Johannes Buringer to leave a clear marker against kidnapping.
Major General Alfred Nelson, Deputy High Commissioner of Sierra Leone, was also wrestled off the clutches of these ransom criminals.
And Nigerians can’t but be optimistic that the IGP came to cleanse the land of criminal elements.
Also, Henry Chibueze, a notorious armed robbery don, who terrorized the South-east from his Imo state hideout, only recently joined his criminal compatriots IGP Idris’ long list of solved crimes.
It is in the area of police public relations, however, that Nigerians must commend IGP Idris.
Gone are the days of indiscriminate raids and unlawful detention.
Only recently, a young lady was arrested and molested for simply using her phone to record a policing gaff e and within moments of fi nding out via a tweet to its twitter handle, the police PCR did not only order the immediate release of the girl with an apology to boot, but also a thorough investigation into the activity that landed the lady into the bad books of the unscrupulous offi cers.
IGP Idris’ Nigeria police are utilizing modern communication channels to bring order to the police force and to help Nigerians get help quickly via twitter, facebook and other social media channels, and this is unprecedented.
You are sure to receive a response to any posted query on the police social media pages within minutes and you can be rest assured it will be helpful and full of hope Th e IGP has continued to bring far-reaching changes into the force in collaboration with the public and other security agencies.
Already, the police chief has been bagging encomiums from well-meaning Nigerians just as he was recently elected the deputy chairman of African Police Chiefs. Kera, a communication strategist, writes from Kaduna.
