Peanuts paid to police as benefits will never stop corruption in the force

Sir: The recent so-called benefits paid to policemen who died in active service in Kwara State have exposed the nagging injustice in the way and manner policemen are treated in Nigeria.

According to the report, a paltry N22,500,000 was released to 58 late policemen’s families. If this sum is broken down, it translates to each of the late cops not receiving up to N400,000 which is rather too poor for people who laid down their lives for others.

In a land where all eyes are in the force on the need to redeem its battered image due to the high level of corruption many people believe is perpetrated by the police, offering such meagre sum to the late policemen will never help in the clamour for new breed of police force which would shun corruption in its entirety.

If Nigeria wants a true reform in the police, it is very important to take a serious look into their total package and there should be a convincing better deal for the men of the force. It is having done this that the nation can then expect excellent performance devoid of image-damaging conducts.

The members of the Nigeria Police Force deserve a better deal from the Nigerian state.

Jide Oyewusi is the coordinator of Ethics Watch International, Lagos.