By Chimezie Godfrey
The Executive Director, Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), Ezenwa Nwagwu has said that crimes committed during elections in Nigeria are trivialized.
Nwagwu who is also the Chairman, Partners for Electoral Reforms in Nigeria made the assertion while speaking on politics on Thursday.
“Citizens’ attitude to election has something to do with the kind of security positioning that eventually happens because election crimes are trivialized,” he stated.
Responding to fake policemen as an election security problem, Nwagwu stated that it is an indictment on the security agencies, both the police and the state security service, if they are unable to fish out those perpetrating and causing them bad names.
He noted that instead of shifting the crimes committed during elections to the supposedly fake policemen, the security agents should be able to tell citizens the real ones.
“We make a mockery of ourselves and bring shame on our collective reputation as a people in the eyes of the international community.
“When the bad eggs among the security agencies commit a crime, they deny them and call them fake police.
“If the police can make that kind of
statement, it simply means that our country can be overrun.
“How come we have fake police only during elections in that large number,” he asked.
Nwagwu advised that the defensive form of public relations employed by public agencies in Nigeria should be addressed, adding that the Nigeria police force should always take responsibility for crimes committed by the police men instead of making excuses.
He also recommended a strengthened coordination and more information sharing among the security agencies.
According to him, the leading civil policing authority, which is the Nigerian police force have the responsibility to up their game.
He added that as professionals, they should ensure that the deployment that are carried out is not just on paper but real people in communities.
On the press statement from the Inspector General’s office stating the buildup of arms and importation of thugs by politicians ahead of the Edo and Ondo state elections, Nwagwu stated that the template for the text of the press conference after the Edo election seem to have been written ahead of time.
He added that this is because it appears that there are already excuses which will be provided.
According to him,”Election cycles in Nigeria are not new, there are no new issues that are thrown up, hence, security agencies in Edo, Ondo and other states elections will subsequently be a responsibility to be proactive.
“So that they don’t have to address a press conference explaining what they should have dealt with. In this word.
“If there is an intelligence on the implication of thugs, what then is the work of the state security service.
“Why do we have the criminal investigation department of the police,” he asked.
Nwagwu encouraged citizens to direct the narrative by engaging politicians during elections.
He urged the citizens to provide a citizen charter of demand which will contain their expectations.
Nwagwu pointed out that this is necessary so that politicians can be held accountable based on the commitment made, especially those who their actions have direct consequences on them in terms of bad governance.