…THAT INTERVIEW BY MOSHOOD JIMOH, THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE SPOKESPERSON, WAS A PUBLIC RELATIONS DISASTER
By Okechukwu Nwanguma
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has a poor public image. To change this reality, the institution ought to invest in better service delivery and good public communications. Regrettably, the current image maker of NPF, Mr. Moshood Jimoh is taking the institution downhill. On Monday, February 6, 2018, viewers of Channels Television’s primetime show, Sunrise Daily saw a flash of Mr. Jimoh’s mismanagement of public communications on behalf of NPF. In response to the claim by Mr. Terver Akase, Governor Ortom’s Chief Press Secretary that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kpotu Idris has not been truthful in his assessment of and response to the “herdsmen” attacks in Benue, Mr. Jimoh threw caution to the wind and resorted to shameful name calling – referring to Governor Ortom as a “drowning man” and calling for his resignation. This was completely unnecessary in a context in which he could just have rebutted those claims by providing more information. Unfortunately, this is not the first time Mr. Jimoh will be going down this route.
The FPRO is on record as having made similar reckless and unbecoming utterances in the past.
In his response to the EndSARS Campaign in December 2017, when citizens took to social media calling for the scrapping of SARS due to their numerous atrocities across the country, this same PRO responded by dismissing and labelling those making the calls as either ‘criminals’ or ‘people with criminal intention’. But the IGP came forward few days later to counter him, admitting that there was merit in the calls and promising to reform SARS.
The FPRO had also assumed the same embarrassing posture of unjustifiable belligerence and deployment of uncouth and unguarded language in his response to accusations of corruption against the IGP by Senator Misau.
By virtue of his/her position, the FPRO is an image maker and a middle person between the Nigeria Police and the public whom the police serves. Such a position of high responsibility should only be given to and occupied by an officer who is knowledgeable, professional, emotionally intelligent and courteous . Mr. Jimoh has consistently shown that he lacks these fine qualities and is therefore unsuitable for the position he occupies.
Outraged by the PRO’s indecency during the interview, the moderators demanded that he withdrew the use of the uncouth language which they rightly saw as ‘going personal against the governor’ and the PRO reluctantly and half-heartedly withdrew the offensive statement. But the issue goes beyond perfunctory withdrawal of a very dreadful statement. By his statements and posture, the spokesperson clearly shows that the police is an interested party in the middle-belt killings.
Why would a senior police officer describe a governor as a drowning man? This should be viewed with great seriousness because the meaning may be deeper than may be ordinarily construed.
It is an embarrassment to the NPF and Nigeria that the spokesperson of the Nigeria police could come on national television to accuse a governor of failure to protect lives and property in his state when the duty of protecting lives and property is primarily that of the Nigeria police. By making such statement, the FPRO not only descended to the arena, but clearly advertised his ignorance and lack of a culture.
The hallmark of the police in any democratic society is professionalism, discipline, integrity, impartiality/neutrality, transparency and accountability. Police should support democracy and detach itself from partisan politics.
It is demonstrably evident that the Police have been ineffective in the discharge of their duty to protect lives and property. It is also well known that many factors account for this. The police are not entirely to blame for this situation. The Federal government has not demonstrated genuine commitment to reform the police including to adequately resource, train, and equip the police as well as enhance police welfare as means of boosting morale, fighting corruption and humanising the force. Political control of the police has also hampered operational independence and efficiency and destroyed professionalism.
Police should admit their challenges and shortcomings and seek public support and help on ways to enhance their capability and improve public perception rather than engage in denial, shifting of blames and childish name-calling.
We believe that the Nigeria police should apologise to the people of the Middle Belt and Nigerians as a whole but Mr. Jimoh Moshood should be relieved of his duties as FPRO.
.Nwanguma is NOPRIN National Coordinator