SECTION Congress of Nigeria has berated President Goodluck Jonathan for chasing imaginary enemies during his last Saturday’s visit to the Police College, Ikeja.
The ACN noted that the President, “instead of telling Nigerians how he would uplift the 70-year-old foremost police college, chose to question how the television station, Channels, filmed the rot in the institution.”
The party stated this in a statement on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The ACN said, “Mr. President, those comments were totally unnecessary, and they put a damper on what would have been a great moment for you. A surprise presidential visit is always a good strategy for leaders to see things in their real state, without the usual window dressing that heralds scheduled visits. But it must be properly managed to achieve the maximum effect. Failure to make the best of that moment is akin to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.’’
The party also urged the President to make amends by making a policy statement on how he would achieve turnaround in the fortunes of the college and other police training institutions in the country.
According to the party, the rejuvenation of the force is important, recognising the strategic role its men and women play in the polity.
The ACN added, “Subjecting police men and women to dehumanising and demeaning conditions, the type exposed by Channels, during training means we cannot and should not expect them to be exemplary after their training. Nothing good can come out of what we saw in that college.
“Terrible as the state of the Police College in Ikeja is, it represents a tip of the iceberg when compared with the pervasive rot in police barracks and police stations as well as the generally poor welfare of the police.
“There is no doubt that the pervasive corruption in our country and the lack of maintenance culture contributed to what has now become a global embarrassment to the whole of Nigeria, not just to the Jonathan administration.
“Therefore, there is no better time than now for the administration to embark on a concerted effort to reverse the rot. It may also not be a bad idea for the President, who was reportedly angry and shocked at what he saw during the visit, to order a probe into how the institution deteriorated so badly, with a view to prevent a recurrence.’’