HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE YOUR SECURITY AGENTS, ESPECIALLY THE POLICE FORCE?

One of the most annoying things some people complain about is environmental noise, which the sound of a siren is included. Ideally, the sound of a siren connotes emergency, and emergency services could be that of security or health services, except for the government figures that go around with aides.

Have we ever thought that security siren is an environmental noise that is needed and which is not meant to be perceived as disturbance? The effort of the security bodies to restore sanity in the country should not be tagged annoying, instead, that "mtchewww" sound should be ignored.

The Lagos state commissioner of police, Mr Fatai Owoseni during a lecture on national security, threats, solution, and reasons at the department of mass communication university of Lagos highlighted some national security threats which include; corruption, unemployment, terrorism, natural disaster, proliferation of mass destruction, inter religious conflict, pandemics, cyber attacks and host of others. He said that national security is not a one man's job because it starts with individual, that if a man's personal security is threatened, then it can affect other people around such victim. In as much as security agents are put in place, he stated that we all have a responsibility to take in securing our nation.

National security is the responsibility of both citizens and the security bodies put in place to check the excesses of people. How is it your responsibility? A sitting room bulb could explode, and the reactions of people could signify danger, thereby raising false alarm that scares people to panic, and stampede could occur that leads to injury and death in some cases. Stigmatisation of citizens that are affected by terrorist attacks should be avoided, especially those from the northern part of Nigeria as this could lead to personal feeling of insecurity, example given; "Do not allow those mallam's cows to graze around here because they might have bomb tied to their waist" but that has not put away our consciousness ability.  A citizen that notices strange occurrence in his environment and refuses to make it known to the police has jeopardised his citizenry role. I heard someone saying those that did that in the past never got quick or any response, and that takes us to the welfare of the security agents.

A security agent swore to fight for his or her country, but in a case where his welfare is not considered at the time he is in service could bring about doubt that when he is gone, his family will be neglected. It is their job to defend, but when the citizens and government do not value their role how are they expected to deliver with full strength. It is therefore not a reason for a fighter to relent in his job, because it is a call to service.

Sometimes the government are to blame for not putting things in place accordingly. In a case where some facilities are not put in right shape, then who is meant to be questioned. A road that is meant to be motored within 10 minutes takes 30 minutes, then we have to perceive that something is wrong. In as much as we have some bad eggs in every system today, especially in the force, we cannot understimate the value of working facilities.

Have you ever heard about smart police? It's an application that helps you bring the police to your doorstep. As advanced as technology has become, there is a need to take advantage of this medium to get yourself secured. Nigerians want to have a feeling of security, but sometimes some bad eggs in the police force truncate this by pleading for bribe, and another angle is that bribery was initiated by some citizens to hack their way through and this became a custom till date. Have you ever imagined a Nigeria where government provides working facilities, a country where citizens don't bribe their way through or don't raise false alarm, and a country where security agents are up and doing to restore sanity in the country, a country where the media reports cases as they are without filtering, and that is a country we all yearn to have, a country with perfect security.