Opinion: Let’s make 7 uniforms for the police

Posted by admin Nigerian Police Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

Wale Sokunbi ( 08056180228 walesokunbi2003@yahoo.co.uk )
Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, was on the front pages of some national newspapers last week, decked in military-style camouflage uniform that he introduced to the nation as a new operational uniform of the police.

The police top boss said the idea for a new police uniform, which he claimed to be test-running, is in line with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government. It is also a part of the plan of the police hierarchy to reform the image of the force, and it has the approval of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Since the unveiling of that new uniform, tongues have been wagging on the desirability of new clothes for the police at this period of serious security challenges. Those wagging tongues, I believe, belong to those who have “bad belle” and are jealous of the new black and white fatigues.

This should not be so. Did Nigerians not see how our IG looked as handsome as a bridegroom in the new camouflage uniform? Only “ those who no de like good thing” will say anything bad about the plan for new uniforms for the police.

Men of the Nigeria Police who have “distinguished” themselves in the task of securing the nation deserve not only one new operational uniform as proposed by the IG. I think they will need like seven. Yes. Seven.
The black and white that the IG “test-ran” last week can be used on Mondays. It is military-like and will help put our officers in the mood for the business of the week. The only problem is with the white portions of the uniform. Who will help us ensure that the white does not change to cream, brown or chocolate-brown. To keep our policemen and women looking as dandy as we want, Nigeria must not stop at awarding multi-billion naira contracts for supply of the new uniform. We must also award contracts for world-class dry-cleaners to ensure that the white in the uniform remains white! Jobs for the big boys, and the senior gals!

For Tuesdays, I suggest the government supplies our policemen with Navy blue uniforms. It is dark and not quite as somber as the present black on black. Moreover, I can remember the saying – All men look handsome in Navy blue. So, why shouldn’t our policemen look handsome?
For Wednesdays, we can deck the police in Army Green. Who says Army Green uniform is only good for the military. Army Green will suit our policemen, too!

For Thursdays, I suggest purple, the colour of kings. Royal purple uniforms will be good for our policemen on Thursdays. After all, they are “apasewa”, one who must be obeyed, as they appear to hold the power of life and death over Nigerians. The fear of the police in Nigeria is the beginning of wisdom! If in doubt, ask the family of the many people who have lost family members in many cases of extra-judicial killing by the police.

Now, Friday is a day everyone looks forward to. It is the last working day of the week for most workers. What better way to mark this day than to supply light blue uniforms for the police to keep them dreaming of the coming weekend?
For Saturday, I think Nigeria must be gender-sensitive and go for pink. After all, there are ladies in the force. Why subject them to wearing of “masculine” colours all the time? In solidarity with our female police officers, pink should be the colour for Saturday.

For Sunday, let us see policemen in white uniforms to remind them of the purity of heaven and the need for them to develop a godly attitude to their work.
It has been argued in some quarters that policemen do not need to wear camouflage, which is essentially for the military. Who says? I don’ t think our own police should be bound by such archaic ideas. After all, what is the difference between the military and the police?
After Nigeria has supplied the above uniforms to the police, the next step should be to stage a new competition to be tagged: The Best Dressed Policeman in Nigeria.”

You may not believe this, but one good way the police can end the Boko Haram problem in Nigeria is by looking better dressed. Simply being well dressed will send the insurgents scrambling back into their holes. They will no longer be able to unleash bomb attacks on the people.
And, why stay with ordinary fabrics? Talking of operational uniforms, the police really do need special ones. But, it should not be camouflage like the force is proposing. It could be made of metal. What better way can we kit the police and ensure that they are no longer dusted by Haram as is happening today!!

On a more serious note, it was “with rude shock”, as Nigerians say, that I “received” the news of the new police uniform last week. New uniforms for what? It is surprising, indeed, that the police hierarchy can be thinking of a change of dress for the police, operational or otherwise, at this time that it should be neck-deep designing counter-strategies to the Boko Haram menace and the general insecurity in the country. Boko Haram is busy thinking and strategizing on how to bomb police stations and churches, the police leadership is busy talking of new operational uniforms! God save Nigerians!

This should, ordinarily, be a sober period for the police, considering the rate at which their number is being depleted by Boko Haram daily. Hardly a day has passed in the last two months without a report of policemen killed in one part of the country or the other. The day I read in the newspapers the number of policemen that had been killed by armed robbers and Boko Haram in the last one year, I shouted. Surely, this is a nation that places little value on the lives of its citizens. Any serious nation would have taken the unbridled killing of its policemen as a national emergency and would be busy thinking day and night about how to stop the killings, but here in Nigeria, the president is busy approving a new uniform for the police! Policemen have become endangered species in the country, but our leaders don’t know it. Our policemen are poorly trained, poorly paid and ill equipped, but we are talking about uniforms.
These are the problems the government should be tackling, not uniforms. The focus should be on proper arming and training of policemen so that they are no longer killed like flies by Boko Haram and armed robbers.

Truly, the number of policemen killed everyday should put the entire country in a pensive mood. But, we are behaving as if all is well. Yet, these men are like sitting ducks for Boko Haram to target. When the people who are expected to protect Nigerians are being killed at will by Boko Haram and armed robbers, it should be of great concern to everyone, especially the president and the police hierarchy. I think the Nigerian authorities are trying to make the hood appear as the monk.

The problem of the police in Nigeria have very little to do with dressing and appearance, never mind the IG’s explanation that the new uniform will be more cost-effective, durable and environmentally friendly.
The new, better uniforms can never be cheaper than the ones they are using currently. And the money to be used to procure these super uniforms “with security features” (according to the IG), can be better used to improve service delivery.

Nigeria should seriously address the issue of funding and training of policemen. They also need to be well paid and motivated to fight crime.
They need better weapons, training and attitudinal change to deliver on their constitutional mandate. The police leadership also needs to consider recruitment of better-educated and better-groomed men into the force. They should be exposed to specialist training to tackle the security challenges of the nation today.

From both the economic and social angles, the plan for a new police uniform is ill advised. The huge sum that it will cost the public treasury will be better invested in the fight against insecurity.
Moreover, a new blue police uniform was introduced few years ago that never got worn by the majority of policemen, other than the topmost officers.

What is the fate of that particular uniform, which was introduced by one IGP shortly after he came into office?
Instead of new uniforms, let the police have a new orientation towards public service, not public exploitation. Frequent changes of uniforms of policemen and use of multiple operational attires have nothing to contribute to creditable discharge of police responsibilities. Uniforms are mainly cosmetic. They will not solve Nigerian’s pressing security problems. Sorry, if that does not go down well with police suppliers and contractors.wp_posts