By Prof. Protus Nathan Uzorma
The German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, once made a profound treatise on the demands and implications of having ‘sense of duty.’ And this is what is lacking in the Nigerian public service today. The sense of duty, which goes with internalised docility, creativity, dedication, elasticity and faithfulness, is what has caused the thought and mindset of ‘not my father’s business’ in public service. For Kant, sense of duty abounds in the making and unveiling the values and qualities of the human actor on the stage of life, which in turn affects the life of the human society.
It is only public servants who have the sense of duty inherent in them that make names and unprecedented achievements in their offices and life time in service. It is not how long one served that counts but how well, and this ‘how well’ is adjudged by the seen evidences that proceed from dedication and sense of duty in office.
Many pose and send rented scribes to applaud and promote them on the media, while in essence the pay-masters are bunch of indolent occupiers of public offices and parasitic to the development of the society from the domain where they head. To this effect, it is ideal sometimes to be silent and watch for a reasonable time before making evaluations or assertions on people’s efforts and values to the effect of writing one off or applauding efforts made, mostly when it has to do with the essentials of social living, security and societal tranquillity.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police happens to be one of such public officials that in my usual way of assessing and accepting services to mankind and as a social critic, needs to be looked with disinterested and intense observations, while lancing thorough private investigations from the nooks and crannies of his domain and assignments before passing value judgments on the benefits of his professional services to the people under his care.
It is evident that in the contemporary Nigerian public service, most public servants only act in order to accomplish their assigned functions than sacrificing to make monuments out of their public functions. This discrepancy is what sets apart almost all the accidental heads of public offices and services from those that have the charismatic leadership and qualities to make realistic changes in the society that will benefit every facet of social structure and living. Virtually in all levels and tiers of government and leadership, this discrepancy is what undermines the chances of bettering the lives of the populace and thus, indolence; selfishness and corruption engulf their focus and sense of duty of entrusted public office holders.
Certainly CP Lakanu is the 30th Commissioners of Police that have served in Imo State since after Mr Onoja, the 1st Imo State Commissioner of Police in 1976. While the rolls of Police chiefs that have served in the State for these 40 years have mounted to 30, it is on record that very few of them had dedicated sense of duty that creates monuments during and after their service-time in the State. Many came and either became centres of crises and societal unrest, or had crime rates at the peak and thus societal unrest, which saw to the insurgence of diverse social crimes that have made safety a questionable social status in the State.
It is evident that among these few that have made names and created monuments, which percentage is but 33, finds CP Lakanu amidst the first four best security minded and crime-combatants in the State. Thus, excellent crime-fighting and policing in Imo State is an uncommon path that many of his predecessors could not thread successfully.
It is only an indolent that goes to the media to narrate his achievements or make comparisons with his counterparts in other States. Achievements are self-speaking and of self-testifying evidences. It was the British empiricist, Sir Thomas Berkeley that said ‘esse est percipi’ (To be is to be perceived, or being is perceived) and in this case, success and good works are seen and witnessed. This self-evidence of excellent crime fighting and policing agility of CP Lakanu is perceived in all nooks and crannies of the State, as crimes and criminal records are kept under constant suppressions and peace, tranquillity and security of lives and properties are unquestionable as people go about their daily businesses even at night in the State without fearing attacks from men of the underworld.
Inter-state travellers in Nigeria would testify to the fact that Imo State under the control of CP Lakanu is one of the most crime-free States in the country today, despite the messy economic crisis that has hiked the prices of all goods and services in the State and country. Ordinarily this would have resulted to the upsurge of sundry crimes and societal unrest as many unemployed and frustrated fellows would have resorted to crimes as make-shifts. This is impossible in the sub-consciousness of criminals in the State; as they have certified that they dwell in a zone that has been ruled ‘crime not allowed’. To embark on such is thus suicidal and a self-sentencing to live-jail and death. Though Imo is not completely crime free as no society in the world could make such bogus claim; but i must confess (not as a praise singer as some misguided people may propose) that Imo state Commissioner of Police Mr. Lakanu Taiwo has used his well articulated skills and strategies to build a somewhat crime free environment that makes Imo people to sleep with their eyes closed.
As a social critic, i do not write because i just desire to write, rather i write because i have something to say to advance my society. Oh, how i hate praise-singing to extol and fan the ego of a non performing public servant; but he who distinguished him/herself from the ordinary and rises to an occasion by taking the bull by the horn, deserves my commendation and recommendation. This is where CP Lakanu finds himself; therefore he needs to be applauded.
It is as a result of these that every local government in the State and every community, even those known to be crime ridden before, have joined the police officers in their jurisdiction and taken to strategic crime-fighting strategies through the Traditional Rulers and the Community vigilantes. This has increased community policing and cooperation with police officers in their proximate divisions to make crime an abomination in the State. Consequent upon this is the recent award given to the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Lakanu, by the members of the Imo State House of Assembly, as well as the letter of appreciation for excellent crime-fighting and policing strategies from the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase.
These notwithstanding, it is needful that the CP does not sit back assuming that all is over, as criminals are always on their watch to see when vigilance, policing strength and strategies are waning, so that they rise and strike with exactitude and swiftness in areas they have long targeted and are prevented by the policing barriers of the Nigerian Police Force under his control.
All is not over, as criminals’ retreat is tantamount to their gainful period when they embark on varied ways of metamorphosing assault’s strategies that surpasses their previous antics known and overpowered by security operatives in the society. This entails the training and retraining of police officers as the CP does from time to time, and appreciating dedication and creativity in service by men and officers of the NPF under him. This as he does always, will continue to give them the joys of service and the onus to do more since there is reward for excellence awaiting them.