In the wake of occasional attacks by armed bandits in the country, Comrade Issa Aremu, a frontline trade unionist has advised state governors to deepen community policing in their respective states instead of promoting what he called unhelpful “diversionary diatribes among themselves and against the Federal government”.
Comrade Aremu is also a Member of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru Jos spoke during the week in Kano and Bauchi at separate Mass Sensitization programmes on “Understanding Community Policing” organized by Nigeria Police Force ( NPF) for newly recruited constabularies, members of traditional institutions, organized labour, women and youths, Faith-based organizations.
According to him, the state governors took oath on assumption of office to secure lives and property and ensure public welfare. He therefore noted that avoidable security breaches in forms of mass kidnappings of students and citizens amount to “unacceptable dereliction” of state duties. He declared support for Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello who recently urged his colleagues to face up to the challenges of governance, in place of what he called “ least resistance rush to Abuja”.
“ Governors organize with all their energies and resources, campaigned to win offices, they must then stop “agonizing” in the wake of security challenges. They must organize their respective communities to pro actively prevent the unacceptable carnage we are witnessing in both rural and urban centers of the state” he said. The labour leader observed that most victims of the current violent crimes are “the poorest of the poor,” state governors “must not inadvertently fuel class war against the poor through indifference to “poor- on- poor” violence being presented as ethnic clashes in some communities ” .
Aremu who was served twice as Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) hailed the Mr Mohammed Adamu, mni, the Inspector General of Police for “his passion for Community Policing adding that “Community policing involving all stakeholders is a practical way of democratizing policing in a democratic system”. He called for mass support for Nigeria Police with a view of reforming the force for better security service delivery. “Nigeria police has come of age. Established in 1820, NPF is the largest enduring internal security institution in Africa. In a democracy, NPF is the key driver of internal security”. Observing that Security is inherently a public good, Comrade Aremu called for “community renaissance” There is the need for community renaissance with all working together to find innovative ways to combat common enemies: banditry, insurgency, kidnappings and all forms of violent crimes.
In his key note address, the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu said broad based community policing would improve the quality of police services, enhance the police community relationship and rebuild the public confidence in the police . In their respective good will messages, the Emirs of Bauchi, and Misau commended President Muhammed Buhari for insisting on rapid implementation of community policing adding that peace and harmony is indispensable for development.
