Nigerian Police officer with arms in the National Assembly
We
have always known the Nigerian Police to be unprofessional and partisan
in their actions and activities. Each time you wonder why there are so
much police men within the precincts of the National Assembly whereas,
like many other parliaments, the Chief Security Officer of such
legislative house is the Sergent-At-Arms. Impunity indeed, is obviously
the countless times the Nigerian Police have assaulted
staff of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly. You will
wonder what the police where doing in the Rivers State House of Assembly
or in Edo and Ekiti State Houses of Assembly. Have they now become
quasi parliamentarians who are used only to impeach a Speaker WRONGLY or
enforce a negative resolution? Well their unprofessional acts knew no
limits when the privileges of the Speaker of the House of
Representatives were been abused. There is always a precedence and a
focal point. The legislature must be independent! Like the Capital
Police in the US, the National Assembly must establish a proper
Sergent-At-Arms that can enforce the security needs of the legislature;
For what is the case now is that of the Police dictating the security
direction in the National Assembly - a far cry from what obtains in
developed democracies. I hate the sight of police officers within the
National Assembly premises - they are overzealous, beggars (as they can
even perform a brigade of guard for a paying legislator) and
continuously harass members of staff. Their continuous negative antics
spell doom for our delicate democracy. Legislators must act now to put
the police to check, providing a sub-station for them (far from the
sight of the National Assembly community) just to allow them receive law
breakers within the National Assembly from the Sergent-At-Arms in
readiness for prosecution. The Sergeant-At-Arms must also be made
professional, hence staff in such department should be trained in areas
of crowd control and even arms handling (international best practice). I
am afraid if nothing is done, the police will gradually be attempting
to kill our nascent democracy!!! Please save our democracy!!!!!
