By Abubakar Hashim
What transpired yesterday leading to the arrest of DCP Abba Kyari and four other senior police officers on drug deals, leading to their handing over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA by the police, is the climax of jettisoning of hierarchy in the security services of the police, military and even the civil, public and private sectors, not only in Nigeria but in many African countries today.
Hierarchy insubordination became rife in Nigeria under the Generals Ibrahim Babangida/ Sani Abacha military regimes. Everyone, at different levels must go to Abuja (Aso Rock), to see the President in order to secure approved budgetary allocations, or enjoy the generosity of the military emperors.
Hierarchy was completely jettisoned…
I’ll mention the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, as I covered the two wars while a writer with defunct African Concord Magazine.
In Liberia, Nigeria spent a colossal $8 billion dollars throughout the war period, while in Sierra Leone, $1 million every day through out the war.
In both wars, command authority of the Defence Headquarters DHQ in Nigeria was severely impaired. Military Service Chiefs were completely excised from details of procurement and movement of supplies. Favoured civilian contractors had better knowledge of the Presidency’s logistic schedules than the military service logistic units.
Successive Force Commanders FC’s in both countries were forced to spend considerable valued time scurrying the terraces of Aso Rock for funds as the two wars were financed from outside statutory allocations, with no one, except the Commander- In – Chief and the Minister of Defence were privy to the wars. The systems were amorphous, incoherent and lack in command integrity.
This jettisoning of hierarchy, cascaded onto the civilian administrations of Obasanjo, late Yar’Adua, Jonathan and presently Buhari.
Why Abba Kyari episode is not a surprise
The sad episode yesterday is not a surprise. When Abba was suspended last year, he ought to be stripped of any police operations, pending investigations. Yet, he was “officially” in touch with his “boys” in force, who receive command from other superior officer, rendering the police system amorphous, incoherent and lack in command integrity. It is exacerbated by the FBI indictment on Abba on the hush puppy cyber crime saga.
It’s now crystal clear that the sad episode of yesterday, goes beyond Abba Kyari…..
I’m not fussy about my name on my posts, but since I did mention involving in both Lib and SL wars, I’ll for posterity….
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