Community Policing and Royal Fathers
Shortly on assumption of office in 2011, Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha made good his promise to prioritize security of lives and properties. The state government purchased and commissioned 100 security vans with gadgets for improved policing of parts of the state. The Imo state Police Command became more than fortified in its security operations.
Imolites of various backgrounds celebrated government’s massive response to the persistent state of insecurity in the state. Many believed that the security equipments will send criminals on vacation to other states. All got it wrong as the criminals took their time to study and evaluate the altered security terrain before intensifying their vicious activities.
Really, as the number one citizen in their autonomous communities, traditional rulers are better disposed with their leadership infrastructures to expose criminals in their domain. But being burdened with less strategic duties, royal fathers tend to toy with their basic function which is the custodianship of the people’s culture and tradition. This is why the cultural life of the people is steadily on the decline heading for the abyss.
Frankly, the clash of culture and imported religion in certain areas is the genesis of our present dilemma. But the fact that the harbingers of the new religion later came back to cart away those discredited fetish cultural objects to their home countries for use in several other ways amply suggests that much is still unknown about the presumed fetishness of those objects.
Being the chief security officer of their areas, royal fathers are supposed to oversee the orderly and peaceful development of their communities as well as its security. This also entails being in possession of the confidential information and socio-economic profile of their subjects. It also implies maintaining an up to date dossier on certain categories of their subjects with records of security breaches.
The projections are possible. Prior to the advent of urbanization and its various cultural distortions, the elderly in the society had oral records of each family unit particularly those with criminal tendencies or antecedents. With such broad based personal data of his subjects, royal fathers could transform the jagged landscape of community policing.
To continue to be relevant, royal fathers must be able to know their subjects and what they do for a living. Such knowledge will help him determine and demystify sources of sudden wealth among the subjects including those in diaspora.
There was a time under the military when convicted criminals were executed in their communities to serve as a deterrent to other criminally-minded ones. In view of the worsening state of insecurity, what prevents royal fathers from advising the government to adopt the policy of village executions because of its acidic deterrent effects on budding criminals and those already neck-deep in criminality?
At times, one gets the impression that traditional rulers are not properly groomed about their status and its implications in the society. Rather than reflect on their job prescriptions, royal fathers tend to be on a shopping spree every other day ensnaring additional responsibilities. Not long ago, the leadership bared the willingness of royal fathers to assist in the creation of new electoral wards and the revalidation of existing wards.
For now, crime control and prevention have remained largely a question without an answer. Even though the State government has done much in recent times to provide the answer yet, the outcome is till elusive.
LETTER
Sir
Rehabilitee the Mentally Sick
It pains that the Control Post Mayoral project is no longer bubbling with activities. The uncompleted unnamed structure has been taken over by the mentally sick which implies that they too need a roof over their heads.
I hardly understand why the project is stalling after destroying the former beautiful structure. Is the problem poor funding? This is the plight of every project that runs into millions of Naira. If this is the cause then, those who conceived it must go back to the drawing board and come up with something within the purse of the state government.
On the other hand, if the structure is the sophisticated type then the job is for sophisticated civil and structural engineers as well as architects.
Owelle has repeatedly said that he is always for the best. Something must be done about the abandoned project before it becomes colonized by the street population, the mentally sick in our midst.
Godson Odo
Enugu,Enugu
State.
LETTER
Sir
Police Custody
The last time I passed near the police custody at the police head quarters, Imo State Police Command, it was not a pleasant experience. The on- coming odour from the cells assails the nostrils aggressively.
Mr Commissioner of Police, is the deplorable condition of the cells intended to serve as a deterrent? Is it a situation that cannot be remedied? Why must the police cells resemble an unkept public toilet in markets?
InSweden, prisoners normally do not want to go home after serving their prison terms because of its conduciveness and habitability. I do not think this has led to increase in criminal activities in that country. Mr Commissioner of Police Sir, please a word from you.
John Egbe
Owerri
