Ndi Obodoanyi,
Don’t
get scared. It is my people in the Aniocha language of Delta State of
Nigeria. Welcome to a new month and a new quarter in 2014. My own
challenge at the turn of a new day, week, month, quarter and a new year
is, “What have I achieved?” Let’s not waste time, life is all about
time, and as a proper Igbo man would tell you, “Mai broad, time na
money!”
Today’s
discussion is from the Nigerian view, I know that I might draw some
comments from the global community but I will be working from the
context closest to me. We would all benefit if we open our heart to it:
Army vs Police.
Army
in the sense of their duty is expected to defend a particular territory
against external aggression. It is very competitive to gain admission
into the Nigerian Defence Academy. Armies are located far from city
centres; the barracks are usually in secluded places but urbanization
has caught up with them and they are not in the city-centres.
Army
officers carry the aura of respect and honour. Based on their type of
training, people do not dare them. They are very confident of
surmounting any opposition. Their senior officers are treated like
demi-gods, as we know they are associated with coup-d’état. They have
the maxim, “Victory belongs to God”.
Police
is expected to maintain peace within the territory. The process of
becoming a police officer is very tedious. Police is expected to be
civil and friendly. They are experts at collecting bribes. In fact, some
years ago policing is done with cudgels and not with guns like it is
done now. Police also have their barracks but not as distant as that of
the army. They have been associated with stray bullets and many wanton
deaths of civilian for no major cause.
The
police are the last set of uniform officers to believe their tales;
they have failed to successfully investigate murder of many prominent
Nigerians leaving aside laymen. They mount roadblocks until the
pronouncement by the recently the current Inspector-General and as a way
of reducing hunger pangs, they now haunt in commercial buses, cars and
with other vehicles donated to them. I hope this would interest you; the
police cannot auction their vehicles because of the reckless usage. As a
way of redeeming their dented image, they now have a slogan, “the
police is your friend!”
What
am I making you to understand today? As you go in the new month, ensure
that all you do is noble. If you are not noble enough, it is not late
to start. People won’t try you again if they discover that you are not
noble.
Maintain
a level of high confidence; a confident person has won the battle
halfway. Screen your associates, don’t just allow anybody to taint your
image; careful selection of friends help a lot. Be respectable and
honourable, this is reciprocal. Lastly, understand that all your battles
can only be won by God.
Join
this army of great men who would not be afraid to stand for what is
right and be distant from bribery, unreliability and injustice. You can
re-write the gory tales of the past by doing it right henceforth.
Best wishes.