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Haba Oga IGP By Solomon Iliya A few days ago, I saw what was in my opinion one of the greatest goofs by no other personality than the IGP, Mr Hafiz Ringim himself. How else do you explain a statement by the IGP that when some journalists asked him questions over the inability of the police force to handle issues of terrorism in Nigeria and he said he wondered why they have not asked the British why they have not sorted out the problem of terrorism in Northern Ireland all this while? Can you believe the man? A few years ago, there was a heat wave in France. Consequently, some elderly people died and quite a handful of others were hospitalized. What did the French Health Minister then do? He did not pass the buck over an issue. This was an issue about weather which no human being had any control over, yet, the Minister towed the path of honour and resigned his appointment for his inability to deal with the situation. I am not asking the IGP to resign because the terrorist threat is bigger than he can handle. However, one would have expected a public servant of his experience and standing to have given a more mature answer to that question. Little wonder that those under him do not know how to answer simple questions either. A few months ago, there was a news report that the military Special Task Force in Jos intercepted a truck load of explosives. The police in Jos for want of something better to say, claimed that the report from the Special Task Force was false. Two days later, at a military checkpoint, two miscreants were intercepted with a bomb which they apparently wanted to plant in a place of worship. While waiting for the bomb disposal squad to arrive, the bomb went off killing one of the miscreants and injuring the other. Some years back when the National Security Adviser was Chief of Defence Staff, he issued a warning about those who might have plans to destabilize the government then. A police superintendent came up to the press and made some derogatory remarks about that statement by Chief of Defence Staff. Please Mr IGP, tell the tax payers whose money pays your salary, what exactly do they teach in that Police Academy of yours that police men generally have a problem of letting their mouths run riot? I drive a car with factory fitted tint (that is the meaning of tropicalization of a product) and a police man wants to arrest me for driving it. If the standard is that cars coming into Nigeria ought not have tints then, the Standards Organization of Nigeria should be the agency to stop such imports and the Nigerian Customs Service, the Federal Road Safety Commission and Vehicle Inspection Office should handle the issue of any such vehicles that are imported with factory fitted tint at the point of entry into the country or registration. The police man on his beat should be properly educated to distinguish the difference between factory fitted tint and the one put by roadside mechanics. Back to the issue at stake. Mr IGP, please chew and digest a question before you give an answer. Also help us teach your officials never to be in a hurry to answer questions as they will be shooting themselves in the foot if they do so. As the Hausas say; “Baki shi ke yanka wuya!” (It is the mouth the crucifies the neck). A word is enough for the wise. |