Security: Our collective responsibility

The image of a mangled foot shattered inside a boot, is the image of the terrorist attack at the UN building in Abuja that has failed to leave me, six years later. It was just another day at the National Hospital, Abuja, when we heard something like an explosion.

Mesmerized, some said one of the hospital’s generators or transformers blew, others said it was a terrorist attack at the hospital gate, and others tried to feign calm. Most of us ran out to find out what was happening. Gradually, sirens began to blare, bringing in wounded persons.

Announcements in the public-address system called all doctors and nurses to emergency sections of the hospital, and requested for blood donation from volunteers. People were brought in; bloodied, burnt and battered. And one was a shattered foot, inside a boot.

The mangled flesh could hardly be differentiated from the shredded black safety boot. I still get flashbacks of that image sometimes. It was later that we learnt there was a terrorist attack on the UN building in Abuja, less than two kilometers from the National Hospital. That incident has shown me how vulnerable we are, and how we all must play our part to see that we are all more secure.

Any good security consultant will point out that security is a collective responsibility. It must not be left in the hands of a few. In a post 9/11 world, where terrorism has gradually become a part of our lives, our security must not be treated with negligence or nonchalance by anyone. The situation is dire in Nigeria because we are besieged by extremist groups who have frequently demonstrated their propensity and capacity to use terror to inflict harm on innocent and unsuspecting Nigerians.

Although security is everybody’s responsibility, we also expect those who run public outfits like airports, schools, malls, etc, to be responsible for the security of their clients and those they serve. Hence, many organizations budget substantial amounts of money to secure the lives and properties of their clients and guests.

With all this in mind I was shocked, driving in and out of a big mall in Lagos Mainland, to witness the lackadaisical attitude of the security outfit there. First, I noticed that they failed to appropriately search the cars driving in and out of the mall.

Furthermore, I observed that those at the door of the mall, were not bothering to use their metal detectors. With the Las Vegas massacre, the Nairobi shopping mall attack in Kenya, and the Banex Plaza terrorist attack in Wuse, Abuja, still in my mind, I felt very unsafe, unprotected and uneasy in that mall, and was very glad when it was time to leave.

And as I drove out, I noticed again, that the security men failed to search or scan any car for more than three seconds. I wondered if this was some sort of a joke. I beckoned on one of the two security personnel to challenge him for not doing his job diligently. He pointed out to me that a number of motorists are impatient and have often run-over or destroyed their glass scanners. He explained that both the management of the mall, and their employers (the security company they work for), have not helped matters.

The mall reminds them that these unruly drivers are clients of the mall and must be treated with extreme courtesy and politeness, and must not be disturbed.

Their employers also bill them (security personnel) for damages on any of their equipment. Thus, being unready to pay for a replacement of these expensive gadgets from their meager salaries, or provoking the management of the mall, they basically do not do their work. So, ironically, the mall employs a security outfit not to secure its premises. They pay them for ‘window dressing.’

My candid opinion is that both the management of the mall, and the security outfit they hire must do better to secure the lives and properties of those who visit their premises. They are failing in an important service and responsibility to the public, and their potential and actual clients when they fail to do so. This is totally unacceptable. The management of the mall ought to help the security outfit they hired do its job effectively. The entrance to the mall can be designed in such a way to ensure that no car goes in without being searched and cleared.

The management of the mall and the security outfit should work with the police to ensure that any motorist that destroys another’s property pays for the damages caused. Such impatient drivers should not be allowed to continue in such irresponsible attitudes, which expose every other visitor to undue risk. If they are unhappy with the mall’s quest to secure their premises, they should be allowed to leave. The mall will definitely attract more clients and customers if they take the security of people who visit seriously.

Similarly, the management of the security outfit should not penalize their staff for doing their job. Rather, they should train them into realizing that they are customer service personnel, not law enforcement officers, who ought to be both polite and assertive (a combination of skills which is essential in a culture where every other person has a dangerously inflated ego, and wants to be seen as a ‘big man’).

The security personnel need to be confident of the support of their employers to be diligent in carrying out their duties. The management of the security company should have security cameras to help them verify what transpired, and commend their staff for diligence or hold them accountable for lapses.

The management of the mall and the management of the security outfit need to be truly interested in actually securing their premises. They will be the greatest losers if their negligence leads to any ugly security breach within their premises. It is also my opinion that the state government should be interested in the security standards in these public places. Any successful terrorist attack in Lagos will inflict a lot of harm on the lives and properties of many. Moreover, it will have a lot of negative economic impact in this city of aquatic splendour. And, this is something we definitely do not need in this present economic climate.

As for the rest of us, let us be more courteous and patient with these security men and women. Their jobs require them to expose themselves to a lot of risks to see that we are more secure. Let us show them that we appreciate their diligence in doing their duties by our civility and patience.

This will encourage and motivate them to keep doing what they ought to do. Let impatient rascals amongst us know that their irresponsible actions endanger the rest of us, and is unacceptable. When we do these things, we will be enthroning a culture of safety and security.

After all, our safety and security is our business, and also lies primarily in our hands.
Ugo Nweke is a Catholic priest who lives and works in Lagos.