“With power comes the abuse of power. And where there are bosses, there are crazy bosses.” – Jude Rose.
THE above quote is credited to Jude Rose, the fine artist, director and head teacher, whose legacy in the art and theatre industry is exceptionally phenomenal. The phrase, illustrates the negative aspect of power by suggesting that, people in positions of power or authority, are capable of abusing their power due to the intoxicating effects of such authority, to the detriment of others. And it’s fast becoming a norm in Nigeria, where the craze for power is turning some people with presumed sanity, into people with assumed insanity.
In Nigeria, because of the vulnerability of their position, people in power stand the risk of being attacked or harmed always, physically or emotionally. These people therefore, who exert significant power in the society, and whose scope of influence gives them a special social standing, are accorded armed convoy of escort from the special security protection unit.
People in this class include service chiefs, police and military commanders, alongside some politicians and heads of the para military, like the Immigration service or the Correctional Centre. By their positions, heads of these services make decisions that could make them to be targeted by the miscreants, or the common criminals among us.
It’s normal to see people in such sensitive positions moving around in a motorcade, with armed guards and sirens to pave way for speedy passage. They need the escort and protection, because of their vulnerability to attack by intending criminals, or those who have committed some crimes and were duly convicted, pursuant to the recommendations of these officers. This is understandable. But because of the abuse of power in Nigeria, something strange is sometimes happening. Nowadays, even those whose position does not constitute any threat to the society, are beginning to accord themselves such paraphernalia of escort.
I have seen on many occasions, people like the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service in Nigeria, moving on the road in a way reminiscent to the convoy movement of a security service chief. We all know that the key duties of the Fire Service is extinguishing fires, controlling fire spread, preventing fire outbreaks, and protecting lives and property. How does doing that make the Controller-General vulnerable to attack by hardened criminals or terrorists?
Yes, officers of the Fire Service sometimes perform other humanitarian and emergency response, like the current situation in Mokwa, Niger state, where the community is battling with a devastating flood, but the fire officers are factored as helpers, whose mode of assistance does not make them attractive to people engaged in unlawful violence.They are mainly involved in rescue operations, building collapses, and other emergencies. Why then should their commander General be running around in town, with sirens and armoured vehicles? Abuse of power, of course.
According to the British historian, Lord Acton, power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Nothing but the absolute corruption of power would make the Commander General of a service, that is not threatened by anyone, to be moving on the road with a retinue of security guards, and sometimes, armoured vehicles with sirens. Its patently absurd from the angle of public disturbance created, and indeed inappropriate from the burden placed on the public treasury, in terms of the cost of such convoy. Only people with the pervasive penchant for power would do that.
I had a stint with the Nigeria Police at the highest level, from where I came to know some of the sensitive duties of the police, including the maintenance of law and order, ensuring public safety, and upholding the principles of justice, which makes them apprehend and prosecute hardened criminals. By the nature of their duties, senior police officers are constantly under threat, including the threat of elimination.
It is therefore expected, for such officers to move around with security escort for the purpose of safety. Also, very Important Persons, popularly referred to as VIPs, such as certain government officials and foreign dignitaries, may be the frequent targets of security threats and risks, because of their high-profile status and the nature of their roles. But not fire fighters and those on rescue missions.
Presidents, Governors, Ministers and high profile Government officials, including some politicians, may be targeted by terrorist organizations seeking to make political statements, disrupt governments, or cause fear and chaos. Equally, diplomats are at risk of assassination attempts by individuals or groups with political or ideological motives. Criminal organizations or extremist groups seek to kidnap VIPs for ransom or as leverage to achieve their objectives. So people in such positions need escort and security protection. But not fire fighters and those on rescue missions.
I think those of them that are doing it, are driven by the pervasive penchant for power. And they need to be stopped, because, they are acting like crazy bosses.
- Ibrahim is Publicity Director for the All Progressives Congress (APC).