Is securing Nigeria a mirage?

Sack the service chiefs. Rejig the security apparatus. The security situation in the country is getting worse. These are catchy phrases that have resonated with the rich and poor. It is more of a cliché now. But the clamour for the sack of the service chiefs has fallen short of expectations because it is misplaced.

Interestingly, people have yet to talk about improving the living conditions of security operatives. Maybe the thought is that they are super-humans who don’t have needs and expectations that ought to be met. It is akin to expecting manna to fall from heaven.

Are our security operatives well-remunerated? What is the take-home of our security operatives? Can they take care of their families with what comes to them at the end of the month? Do they go home to rest in comfort or discomfort? What is the state of barracks and quarters across the country?

Reality has eluded us, and why securing Nigeria will remain a mirage. I grew up in a police barracks. I struggle to forget what growing up in barracks was like. It was a life of gross inconvenience and deprivation. Nothing worked, and families were packed like sardines to date.

These security operatives would put their lives in danger to protect lives and properties. After such a daunting exercise, they would retire to a dingy apartment for an elusive rest. Suppose a security operative sees an opportunity to make extra cash to meet ends. In that case, they will grab it with both hands. The song would be XYZ force is corrupt.

How much does an average security operative earn in the country? Do they earn enough to take care of their needs? Has the political leadership deemed it necessary to ensure security operatives are well-remunerated? I won’t compare it with other climes because the outcome would be depressing.

For example, a bank worker earns more than a security operative. Their condition of service is better. How, then, do we expect magic to happen in securing Nigeria? This is one topic that has been neglected for inexplicable reasons. Let me say this without fear or favor. Our security operatives are treated like lepers.

The same lepers are expected to confront the Boko Haram terrorists. They are expected to secure the Abuja-Kaduna highway. They are expected to do many things at the same time. And if they don’t, we cry to the high heavens. Maybe they are not humans. They are robots because what they go through daily is onerous, yet nobody cares.

What is the implication of the above? A secured Nigeria or a vulnerable one? We must understand what a mirage is. “an unrealistic hope or wish that cannot be achieved.” That is the situation in Nigeria. But we have elected to bask in the euphoria of thinking we can eat and have our cake.

Magic won’t happen. Nigeria can be secured if there is a conscious effort to attend to the needs of our security operatives. Once the mental state is disjointed, expect the physical manifestation to be something other than brilliant. It is a regime of pay-as-you-go. And it goes a long way to explain the premium we have placed on the efforts of security operatives in our quest for a secured Nigeria.

Imagine a soldier in the trenches exchanging bullets with bandits. These scenes are not recorded. They can’t blow their trumpet. And unfortunately, the media gives little attention to these heroic acts of bravery.

Please let me share an experience. In 1985, there was a knock on our door very early in the morning. It was Mr Alabi, a friend of my father and a policeman. The instruction was, “Please, madam, come with me to the hospital.” My mum was swift in wrapping my kid brother around her waist. She held my hands, and we marched behind Mr Alabi to the Police Hospital in Falomo, Lagos.

My father lay in one of the wards with a blood-stained bandage around his waist. He was the only survivor of an ambush on his patrol team. All others in the team were killed. A bullet pierced his stomach but missed his vital organs. He survived. How many were that lucky? What did their families get? The Inspector General of Police gave him a letter of commendation.

He took a risk because he is duty-bound, not for the strength of his remuneration and what his family would benefit if he died in the line of duty. Security operatives should be well remunerated. What they put in should be commensurate with what they get. Some have argued that they would still display their elements even if well-paid. I find such a position disturbing. It is tantamount to giving a dog a bad name to hang it. Money is an effective, powerful, and straightforward motivator. Self-evidently, money motivates, and extra money encourages people to work extra hard.

If so, why can’t state security operatives earn decent remunerations? We may not be aware of what it takes to bring about security of lives and property. Yet, those who toil day and night are treated as second-class citizens regarding remuneration.

We are joking. The security of lives and properties in Nigeria will continue to be a mirage because our expectations are built on nothing. It is a regime of garbage in and garbage out. We need to stop deceiving ourselves. It is not voodoo. It is common sense.

The message is simple. A review is necessary. There is dignity in labour, and the security agencies in Nigeria should not be exempted. The choice is ours to make. I am afraid I have to disagree with why a legislator or a medical doctor should earn more than a policeman or a soldier. What can thrive in insecurity? I elected not to mention para-military organizations. They are in the same boat.

This piece is about state security organizations. It is not a new topic. It is a topic that was borne out of first-hand experience. We keep expecting magic to happen when we don’t care about those with the guns and bullets. We don’t care about the risk they face every day. We don’t care about the state of the barracks. But we expect magic from them. That is the worst deceit of humanity.

We need to get our priorities right. Let’s not build castles in the air. Our security operatives deserve more. Otherwise, securing Nigeria will remain a mirage.

Ocheja, a military historian and doctoral researcher, can be reached via [email protected]