A nation can be measured and assessed by the kind of police force it has. The quality of the police largely depends on its internal leadership profile. This is pivotal because on this hangs the overall fortune of the force. An ineffective, weak, and ill-prepared leadership will lead to an equally paralysed force.
Relatedly, proper policing is a cardinal indicator of the health of a nation. The need for a trained and motivated police force cannot thus be over-emphasised. And this starts at the very top echelon of the command.
Thus, the Nigeria Police has, over the years, demonstrated that it can be rated as one of the best given the right impetus. Successive governments have also done well to improve the force through better welfare packages including change in uniforms.
However, it is the leadership of the force that has continued to attract the most attention when discussing the fortunes of the service. Various regimes have also grappled with this challenge. This is key because an African proverb says a fish starts to rot from its head. The police force is also a victim of a general atmosphere of bad leadership but specifically that of its inability to provide proper management.
Therefore, for the police to be strategically positioned to deal with criminality, the management must be right. The apex leadership of the police force must be one that is decent, engaging, developmental minded, and repositioned to work with modern tools.
Only this can position the Nigeria Police to combat crimes, banditry, and all forms of cyber security challenges. The search for such leadership of the police must be prioritised for a motivated, effective, and 21st century compliant force.
Binta Alamin Yinusa,
Abuja
