The Deliberate Pillorying Of Degrees Wielding Rank And Files By Constituted Police Authorities

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Jokotola Alegeh

 

The attitude of concerned authorities in the Nigeria Police over Rank and Files holding relevant degrees in various fields of human endeavour is becoming more of a trauma to the latter than can be explained. It is quite obvious that the present managers of the Force at the Louis Edet House in Abuja do not care an inch about efforts exerted by these educated foot soldiers of the agency into quality human development activities.

 

It is more of a surprise that the Chair of the Police Service Commission – Sir Mike Mbama Okiro, who himself once called the shots as the Police head within the confines of the same edifice and who himself once spearheaded the conduct of an exercise for qualified degrees wielding Rank and Files to be elevated, would be complicit in perpetrating this neglect being exhibited. Although there are indications a collusion is ongoing between himself and the Inspector General, to surreptitiously select ‘sponsored’ names from a pool of the so many qualified Rank and File graduates through the backdoor, for an Assistant Superintendent course, nonetheless; for a man of his calibre and achievements to continue to show signs of ineffective leadership over critical promotion matters decries on qualities of persons usually selected to head many MDAs in Nigeria.

 

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on his own has shown so much disdain for ideas suggesting the evaluation and elevation of his Rank and Files with higher education degrees, save for the ongoing collusion mentioned above. His focus has been on dishing special promotions to undeserving personnel of the force; a dangerous campaign and show of power, which has done more damage to the morales of hardworking personnel, beyond the myopic intentions of the IGP. To him, it is better to bring in graduates via nepotistic means than consider the available pool down his pyramid. How on earth the management of an organization chooses to ignore cheap and readily available educated manpower within its reach to scavenge for semi-literates ones, still baffles the mind.

 

In basic human management theories, literature abound on the effect of good management practices on the morales and performance of an organization’s workforce. Part of such practices would include the recognition of hard earned achievements, rewards and promotions [derserving ones for that matter]. In essence, the fundamentals of judging all the above is the quality of the human capital the organization can muster; hence, if the human capital quality is poor, then there could be misplaced priorities with the utmost danger of mediocrity taking over from merit – a glaring pattern from all shades emanating from the Loius Edet house.

 

As it stands presently, the Nigeria Police high command cannot continue to pretend it does not notice the increasing number of its Rank and Files who holds first, second and even third degrees from various higher learning institutes in the country. It is high time adequate attention be accorded these lot in recognition of their academic achievements and strenuous, but deliberate efforts put into increasing the human capital quality of the Police. It is, in fact, a humongous ridicule on the part of these categories of Rank and Files, first amongst their mates who have chosen to remain at default and second, amongst their mates in sister security agencies, who have been duly recognized and still getting adequate recognition on their academic efforts and have been elevated or about to be elevated accordingly.

 

To this end therefore, the Police authority must put an assiduous effort, devoid of bias, in place to conduct an open and credible selection exercise for qualified degree holders amongst all Rank and Files for an Assistant Superintendent course, which usually holds at the Police Staff College, Jos. Such exercise should also not be held once in eons as is always done, but should be a carefully mapped out periodically, say a three year intervals of continuous activity. By this, hope at the highest apogee will rekindle on the part of those Rank and Files holding various degrees and others too, will also be motivated to seek relevant knowledge that will improve their capacity and ultimately, a Police Force with quality human capital.

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