The newly appointed Acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba
The first duty of a Police Officer is to secure his/herself-Anonymous
According to the sage, people frequently rewrite history to increase self esteem and to clear their consciences of guilt for historical misdeeds. Historical revision can also go the other way, as historian’s attempts to discredit figures from the past.
Yet, despite the validity of the claim, the latest history made by Usman Alkali Baba, who was on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 appointed as Nigeria’s acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), cannot be likened to any of the above considerations. Aside demonstrating that ordinary calculation can be upturned by extra-ordinary personalities, Usman Alkali Baba’s appointment more than anything else stands as an emblematic attestation that history in any field of endeavors is reserved for those that are interested in breaking new grounds to increase their wealth and well being and that of their followers.
Without a doubt, the feat is currently acknowledged with torrents of applaud,
But oddly, this opinion piece, for all intents and purposes, is not congratulatory message-focused. Rather, it dispatches a messages geared towards achieving the following objective; namely,; reminds the new IGP of existing odds against the Force that will demands new policies, reforms and strategies to correct; develop significant ground to tackling the job of building a Police Force of our dreams. And assist Usman Alkali Baba recognizes that it takes a prolonged effort to administer a group like the Nigeria Police Force, well and change their backward habits.
In view of the above demands, the question may be asked; who is Usman Alkali Baba? How clear are his goals? Is he laced with sharp visions needed to achieve these prime objectives?
Available information at the public domain reveals that he was born on March 1, 1963 in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State. He enlisted into the Nigeria Police on March 15, 1988.He holds a Teachers’ Grade II Certificate from Teachers College, Potiskum.Mr Baba obtained a Bachelor of Arts (ED) degree in Political Science from the University of Maiduguri and a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from Bayero University, Kano. Until his appointment as the acting IGP, he had held several positions in various commands of the Force.
Except for peripheral reason(s), it will be hard not to describe someone with the above achievements as a hero. More particularly when one remembers that with sharp vision and clear goals, he rose but steadily from grass (a Teachers’ Grade II Certificate from Teachers College), to grace (a Masters in Public Administration (MPA)).
That notwithstanding, it is important to draw the new IGP’s attention to two realities. First, that the inherent challenge with the Nigerian Police Force is more of perspective. The grouse against Nigerian Police Force by Nigerians is predicated on not what the Force intends to, or capable of doing but what they are doing presently and whether it is in the best interest of Nigerians. Second and very fundamental is to remind the new Force Helmsman that the credibility of leadership can only be established through action and not words.
As argued elsewhere, such action refers to deeds that distinguishes a leader who considers his followers a foremost asset, and not one who looks at them as a burden. There is a world of difference between a leadership that is based on love and respect, and one that is based on fear. All that is needed in order to reach this goal is to show our people the right direction and nurture their potentials, for innovation, creativity, self confidence, determination and leadership, hose who leads from the top of the pyramid ends up leading only those on top, which is not how an exclusive development exercise should be carried out.
There are more specific and worrying concerns.
Going by commentaries, Nigerians and of course the global community are particularly unhappy that Nigeria Police Force with so many outstanding personnel, and hitherto, among the best across the world when it comes to providing security, combating terrorism, armed robbery, kidnapping, cyber crimes and several other insecurities, have suddenly for yet to identified reason(s), allowed the high standard the British left them to be lowered.
From the raging wave of kidnapping, banditry and terrorism resonating in the North East to North Central, South West to South South and finally to South East geopolitical zone, where police stations/formations have been sacked or torched by hoodlums and arms and ammunition carted away and some killed, innocent Nigerians are apprehensive that if such aggression by hoodlums/bandits could be visited on different police formations, it simply means that the lives of the ordinary citizens are no longer secured.