Nigeria Police and crisis of image making, by RACHAEL OYINOYI

The criticisms or outright condemnation of the Nigeria Police and its activities seem to be growing by the day.
In fact, it is being repeatedly argued in some quarters that no government institution or agency has suffered the kind of criticisms and blackmails to which the Nigeria Police has been subjected.
Ordinarily, whatever belongs to the public or is meant to serve public interest must, in free societies, be subjected to public scrutiny.
Thus, the ability and willingness of the custodians of such institutions to dispassionately welcome such scrutiny aids to improve the organization’s objectives, especially if the criticisms are objective.
Disturbingly, taking into consideration the contents of the criticisms of the Nigeria Police, it is obvious that most of the antagonists, based on reasons known to them, choose to be unreasonable in painting the police institution in the picture that hardly represents its true image.
Unfortunately, they seem to be carried away by the retrogressive tendencies that the police was previously known with.
It is also very irritating that a sizable number of these harsh critiques of the Nigeria Police refuse to take cognizance of the contemporary achievements recorded by police high command as if they are intimidated by these transformations which most Nigerians see as a renaissance of a sort.
Thus, it is obvious that most of the criticisms, condemnations and counter-condemnations against the police are hardly caused by the police failure to do what is expected of them.
In fact, nothing the police does these days, no matter how good, that would not be subject of attack by these guys who have refused to see any good in police activities.
It has since been discovered that these high waves of attacks of the force and its leadership are deliberate.
They are all attempts to rubbish the good image of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) so that his unprecedented achievements in the force will be buried in the grave yards of criticisms.
The deliberate lies, blackmails and unrelenting casting of aspersions on the police institution and its high command are ugly efforts to mis-educate average Nigerians about the true revolution Ibrahim Idris has brought to bear in a police organization that was almost a laughing stock before his emergence as Inspector General.
It is also germane to assert that the mindset of these bias and subjective critics will prevent them from seeing anything good in the Nigeria Police under the present IGP even if in performance index, the Nigeria police equals America’s.
Notwithstanding these deliberate efforts to portray the force in bad light, the IGP seems to anchor the police image misperception by the attackers on their ignorance of the current reality in the force.
As a thoroughly trained and scientific minded police officer, he seems to be of the opinion that rather than be disillusioned by the disingenuous attempts to derail the police, strengthening the police image making mechanism will afford a greater number of Nigerians the opportunity to genuinely and dispassionately come to terms with the good job the force is doing.
In this case, the historic establishment of Nigeria Police Public Relation Institute by the IGP in Abuja is aimed at realizing this noble objective which nobody seems to be talking about.
Conceiving the idea to establish this historic institution will go a long way in redeeming the image of the Force.
In his speech marking the establishment of the institution, the IGP left no one in doubt about the objective of the institute.
In his word, “The primary objective of this institution is to re-address public perceptions of what the police stand for”.
The IGP sent the point straight when he told the officers present at the occasion that he strongly believed that the police must place higher premium on training in order to change the narratives about the organization.
“I believe, with the launching of this program, all of you will now put in focus the importance of making sure we have a positive image in the eyes of the generality of the citizens of the country” he said.
Seeing the humiliation and consistent blackmail to which the Nigerian Police had been historically subjected, and taking into consideration the manner in which these negative tendencies have been wickedly sustained, anything capable of portraying the correct image of the force is commendable.
So, establishing this institution will tremendously help in this direction.
No doubt, members of the public have been consistently misled about the good work of the force.
A section of the Nigerian media also seems to have resolved not to relent in painting the image of the Force black.
In the same vein, a section of the political elite has of late joined the bandwagon of unjustifiable war against the police.
Of late too, members of the legislative arm of Nigeria’s government are in the forefront in destroying the police image through unrelenting demonizing of the IGP.
It must be remembered that the police is a public institution.
This may also be true in the areas of equipment and remuneration to men and officers of the Force.
These crises have lingered due to the historical neglect of police.
Therefore, this quagmire will remain a threatening phenomenon if the members of the National Assembly fail to do the needful.
The only way they can convince Nigerians that they care about their welfares is by passing of the Police Trust Fund Bill.
For without adequate funding, there cannot be effective policing and without effective policing, the security of the nation will be in jeopardy.
No serious minded law maker will preside over a country whose security is in jeopardy.
Mrs Oyinoyi writes from Lokoja, Kogi state