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Ochy Orji

Civil Engineer
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria

One clear example of why the fight against corruption should begin with the NPF is an insight to the ‘Serve and Protect with Integrity’ at the authorized and legalized Road Blocks on our Highways. These road blocks manned by the police are so many that they now cause untold and uncomfortable hardship to motorists and commuters defeating the laudable objective of Stop and Search Operation. This show of shame need to be checked and stopped, and an unconditional apology to the Nigerian public by the Inspector General of Police.

 

CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA- THE LEADING ORGANIZATION
by Ochy Orji

 

The fight for corruption is on the lips of every person in Nigeria – including the corrupt and the honest. Some in fighting the menace are even clamouring that the corrupt governors should be allowed to answer their charges from the comfort of their homes and have adequate time to intermediate and eliminate known witnesses. Funny enough we want EFCC to perform magic in turning the nation aright. All facets of the Nigerian nation organizations and every Nigerian must be out to fight this war or we will all be consumed by it. Great enough the Nigeria Police Force that should support the EFCC is the leader and hostilely perpetrating corruption in this country. You will be wrong if you think that this is the usual ‘Bail is Free’ music that is being song in the Police Stations with reverse as the in thing. Not so. There is a more cancerous aspect which needs to be fought if we will win this battle to a reasonably low level. Even though we solicit for a quick drill in this fight down to the LGAs levels (on the chairmen and councilors – past and present) because it is at the same level of looting with the State Governors and Commissioners as well as the Presidents and Ministers/senior civil servants, etc).

Yes cancerous because it must be removed if the average Nigerian and watching foreign countries are to appreciate that this Government is serious about the fight against corruption. If you employ a security man that is a criminal (a thief +), you will only succeed in legalizing crime in your home. This is the cancerous situation with our Nigeria Police Force. HOW!

One clear example of why the fight against corruption should begin with the NPF is an insight to the ‘Serve and Protect with Integrity’ at the authorized and legalized Road Blocks on our Highways. These road blocks manned by the police are so many that they now cause untold and uncomfortable hardship to motorists and commuters defeating the laudable objective of Stop and Search Operation. This show of shame need to be checked and stopped, and an unconditional apology to the Nigerian public by the Inspector General of Police.

However legal this could be, it is very worrisome that between Port Harcourt end of Imo River and Enugu end of the PH-Enugu Express road (i.e. at the former Toll Gate), there is a minimum of 25 road blocks on each direction. This translates to a minimum 50 Road Blocks (or Independent Police Republics) on both sides of the expressway. (On a crazy looting day, the road blocks are spaced between 1km and 5km apart). In addition to these, there is a minimum of six (6) Highway Patrol Stopovers on this Expressway. That is 3 on each direction of the expressway.

The gravity of this corruption (and crime) is appreciated when we go by statistics of volume of vehicular traffic on this stretch of highway in a day. Over 1 million vehicles pass this stretch of the road daily. Of this volume of vehicles, about 200,000 are commercial buses/cars and each of these buses/cars pay a minimum of N20 ‘compulsory security’ fee at every check point manned by the Nigeria Police (mobile and regular, and in support by the visible Nigerian Army personnel), and N100 at every Stopover point manned by the Highway Patrol of the Nigeria Police Force. Ordinarily one will say what is N20 or N100 in a country where $10,000 is worth over N1.2m. Or worse still where N20 cannot afford a mount full of groundnut.

Let us see the small arithmetic below and then think of what to tell the IGP and President and CIC of this great Country.

1. 200,000 commercial buses/vehicles on one lane paying corruption fee of N20 each translates to N100m a day per lane. That is N200m per pay on Imo River (Boundary between Abia and Rivers States) to Enugu old Toll gate at Agbani every day.

2. In a month the Nigerian Police at the road blocks and stopover stations collects N6b, and it is tucked into some Peoples` Police pockets with `Integrity`. I wonder what each State collects as monthly statutory allocation.

3. Same number of buses paying a recordable Highway fee of N100 each translates to N40m daily or N1.2b every month.

This is just on one expressway. There is this disturbing aspect too. Between Obigbo junction and this Imo River, there are 3 Road blocks on each side of the road. They collect N24m per day or N720m every month.

It follows therefore that from PH to Enugu, the Nigeria Police collects besides their monthly salaries N7.92b from the unprotected Nigerians using these commercial vehicles as the incidence of these corruption rates is borne by them.

The IGP should explain where this money goes to. Who sends these uniformed looters to the roads to extort these fees, and for how long shall the authorities play lips services to this glaring corruption by the Police organization? Our President should ask questions, and the National Assembly should fight to protect the subdued masses of this country from the hands of the Nigeria Police Force before it is late because the fees/tolls are being increased to N50 in some Road blocks. The IGP once directed the drivers not to give N20 but never asked what happens when a driver refuses to give promptly. He is openly tortured and delayed. Someone needs to tell the whole truth about this cancer.

Where should the fight against corruption start? Who should be in the team to fight corruption? Certainly not the cream of Policemen on our roads today. They are so corrupt that it will be difficult to ask a criminal to take part in fighting crime. They should not be sacked, but sent to Iraq to maintain peace and see if there will be continued need to collect N20 at road blocks. This show of shame that bequeaths the Nigerian man/woman should be stopped. Our Police Force should be good ambassadors of this great country and should lead by example. The men and women should be re-oriented and thought that they should lead in the fight against corruption if fight must be won..