The Nigeria Police and Mockery of Common Good (a Critical Investigation)
Chapter One
SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY.
In this research work, my realm of concentration and concern will be limited to the consideration of notion of common good by some thinkers and then use it to investigate into only some ill activities of Nigeria police that militates against the general welfare of the people. As a matter of fact, Nigeria police has cases where they promote common good, but I shall only limit myself to some cases of their negation of common good.
The purpose or objective of this research is streamlined towards exposing certain indiscipline and corruptive activities of Nigerian police force that ridicule the realization of common good of the people, which defines the role of police institution, and which underscores the fundamental end of a civil society. It seems that this work sets to answer, to some extent, the question: who will guard the guardians for the realization of common good. Hence, the aim is to consider perhaps, some possible solutions to the problem.
CHAPTER TWO
COMMON GOOD
A consideration of the idea of common good stirs-up the question: why are civil societies formed? It is of this question that J. Omoregbe holds that the society does not just exist only to cater for the egoistic interest of a few unscrupulous and greedy individuals; rather it exists to ensure that every member of society gets a fair share of the goods which belong to all.1
There is, in the society, co-operation by all members for the realization of societal existential ends or mutual completion. The common good could be seen as a good that is of general welfare, collective and distributive. It is in line with this that A. Gonsalves avers:
the common good is the end of the co-operation of all members or the end for which society exists; it is an end that is the temporal welfare for the community taken both collectively and distributively.2
The phrase “common good” is a normative standard in Thomistic and Neo-thomistic ethics for evaluating the justice of social, legal and political arrangements, which according to him “are the arrangements that promote the flourishing of everyone in the community.”3
The word ‘common’ is seen as an analogical term referring to kinds and degrees of sharing, ranging from mere similarity to a deep ontological communion. Thus Thomas Aquinas holds that “goods are common in a deeper sense when the degree of sharing is more than merely coincidental.”4 The common good is the good of complete and politically organized human community – good that is the common goal of all who foster the justice of that community, as well as the common source of fulfillment of all who share in just arrangements.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The idea of common good is a notion that originated over two thousand years ago in the writings of Plato, Aristotle and Cicero. Thus, the notion of common good is an ancient notion, historically taken, variously understood and subsequently formulated. Plato sees society as natural, and identifies the common good with the total virtue of the citizenry and bases it on the primacy of the polis. The common good is the virtuous life of the entire community.5
Plato’s consideration of the end of the political society has it that the state arises out of the needs of mankind. He maintains that no one is self sufficient, but all of us have wants, which can only be solved in association with others. Thus, Plato elaborates:
…as we have many wants and many persons are needed to supply them, one takes a helper when these partners and helpers are gathered in a place called the state.6
Therefore, when such inhabitants gather to form a state, individual needs are met in the promotion of common good of the whole.
Aristotle on his own part has it that man is a social being. According to him, not only is humanity by nature destined to live in a state, the state as every other community is established with a view to some good, exists for same end.7 Thus, the function of the state is to ensure the supreme good of humanity, namely its moral and intellectual life.
Thomas Aquinas of medieval era, is of the view that in every case in which the good of the individual and the common good are in the same genus, the common good is prior, and the search for the common good is indispensable for achieving man’s own good, the virtuous life.8 Hence, in his definition of law, he maintains that the law is made for the common good and not for personal interest. Hear him:
Law is an ordinance of reason promulgated by one who has the cadre of the society, for the common good. 9
This definition of law brings to light, the notion of common good. Similarly, Isidore holds that law should be framed in a way that it embraces no any private good but the common good. 10
CHAPTER THREE
UNDERSTANDING THE ACT OF POLICING.
Ever since the beginning of time, human beings have been and are found in a society or state. People gather to form a society in which each person’s good is met in the societal good of peaceful and ordered co-existence. Again, every society makes laws and principles to ensure social order and peace in human community. They solve their problems together and fight their enemies in common. This underscores the fact that no individual is self-sufficient and each person has existential needs. Thus, Aristotle holds:
He who is unable to live in a society or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself must be either a beast or a god.1
From the foregoing, we decipher that human beings enter into a society to solve their existential problems or needs. Ipso fact, every society needs those who should be charged with the responsibility of maintaining societal order and peace. The society makes laws to serve as guiding principles to protect and promote welfare of the members of such a community. Be that as it may, every society is known to be made upon the principles of social justice and social order.
In line with the above, we can see that human persons who find themselves in a community try to invent some guiding principles that will serve as a controlling measure, to ensure that their society does not become a chaotic and lawless place to live. Sequel to that, the human society propounds certain laws and regulations in order to see to it that the tendency of either harming one another or the community at large, is controlled and checked. This, I think, is because of possibility of conflicts of interests, giving rise to human ambivalence.
It is in line with this that J. C. Ekei, holds that this question of societal social justice and regulations foresee that man is ethically ambivalent, and prone to good and evil, such that without communal co-operation, and concern, human life is likely to be highly precarious.2 Here, comes the idea of protective social justice and not only the promotional idea in terms of common good. It is due to this fact that this protective social justice lies on concerted communal efforts and concern towards assisting man to live with the sole intention of ameliorating the human predicament, which in the words of Warnock is liable to go badly.3
Therefore, from the above considerations, we understand that apart from the personal life, every society has its own life and property to protect, and to preserve. This is because ‘we are’ because ‘I am’ and ‘I am’ because ‘we are’. Thus, there is an implicit dialectical relationship between a person, and his society (community). It is this relationship, in the opinion of J. C. Ekei, that creates what is often called a ‘social’ or ‘collective’ responsibility4 especially by certain social institutions of which the police force is one of them. So, in all these, we see the fundamental need and importance of police institution in every organized society properly called. Because human beings are ambivalent to do good or evil, it is nice to establish a social institution to be charged with sole responsibility of maintaining law and social order and public peace.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE NIGERIA POLICE AND SOME CASES OF ` MOCKERY OF COMMON GOOD.
Granted that there are areas of promotion of common good by the Nigeria police force, here we want to expose some of their activities that jeopardize the realization of common good, to see what could be done to mitigate them, if not totally eradicate those ill-activities. This is because, these constitute a social problem which in the estimation of Horton Leslies is a condition affecting a significant number of people in ways considered undesirable, about which it is felt that something can be done through collective social action.1
CHAPTER FIVE
EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION
CRITICAL EVALUATION
Obviously, it is a fact that human beings who opt to live in a society have purpose for doing so. This purpose, surely, is not egoistic but must be to secure a kind of good shared by the members of such a civil society, hence, the idea of common good, which we have explored and studied. The common good according to A. Gonsalves is the end of the cooperation of all members or the end for which society exists; it is an end that is the temporal welfare for the community taken both collectively and distributively.1 There is in the above, the idea of a shared welfare or good of those who live in a human community. Due to the importance of securing this good, certain institutions are charged with the responsibility of protecting and promoting this common good. No wonder, speaking on what common good entails, Francis O.C Njoku holds that it consists in the establishment and maintenance of order, which is achieved by proper carrying-out of rights and duties and services by members and social groups without interference. Hence, the common good creates an environment of peace, harmony, security, freedom and other social enhancements, opportunities for the realization of common good.2
Stating the end of human society, J. Maritain holds that the end of society is the good of the community, of the social body.3 This common good is something ethically good. Included in it, as an essential element, is the maximum possible development, here and now of the persons making up the united multitude to the end of forming a people, organized not by force alone but by justice. To promote and realize this common good is thus, of paramount importance, if this end is to be attained. This is because, in my own estimation, a society where every person vehemently pursues his or her selfish interest without regard to what becomes of co-members of such a society, or the interest of society as a body, is liable to experience anarchy, lawlessness, chaos, injustice and so on. These conditions jeopardize societal peace and mutual co-existence.
Following the literature review made of the notion of common good in chapter two, it underscores that both philosophers and other great minds have lent their support to the importance and option for the common good against the pursuit of selfish interest in human society. Individual needs are met in the promotion of common good of the whole. That is why Plato holds that human beings enter into civil society to meet their needs because an individual person is in himself insufficient.4 Attempts made to opt for egoistic pursuit of interest have been noted as that which brings state of no progress, chaos, unrest, brutality; quarrels etc. In the opinion of J. Omoregbe:
There can be no development, no progress in any society in which devotion to duty, honesty and efficiency yield to self-interest and the craving for self-enrichment5
Buttressing this idea, Thomas Hobbes theory of the state of nature shows that there was no development, no progress in the state of nature since the individuals were morally immature and socially irresponsible. No wonder, man opted to enter into social contract. In social contract, there is moral maturity, social responsibility and public interest or good on the part of the individual members of a society, and I think these are indispensable for the development and sustenance of human society, properly called and catered for. Elaborating on the need to opt for common good instead of egocentricism, J. Omoregbe has this to point-out:
To the extent to which moral laxity, egoism, individualism, lack of a sense of duty, bribery and corruption, egoistic disregard for public well-being, embezzlement of public fund etc., prevail in any society, to that extent is the development of that society obstructed and rendered impossible6
Thus, if the dominant principle of action is self-interest or selfish aggrandizement at the expense of the common good, how can the society in which human beings live develop, and who will develop it?
From the above question, certain institutions are thus, established to ensure the promotion of the common good of the society. The police are typical example as demonstrated already in previous chapters. There is need to ensure that every member of society gets a fair share of the goods which belongs to all. The police are involved in this regard. This is in consonance with Thomas Aquinas definition of law as ordained for the common good of the members of the community. The police officers are themselves law enforcement agents, and therefore, enforce laws to realize the end of law-making (common good).
The Nigeria police force, no doubt, promotes the common good of the people to some extent in various ways. However, there are still some deficiencies or their ill-activities that jeopardize the realization of common good. Some of the instances of the mockery of common good are just some and not all of them. They serve as evidences to prove that they still have to work on some of their mode of operations. These instances continue to raise the question: who guards the guardians? This is because some of those instances indicate their pursuit of private good or interest against the common good, law and justice. Therefore, there is a call of our attention to what could be done to guard the guardians and how it can be done. This ushers us into proffering some recommendations and contributions to this question. No matter how far the solutions might go, I think they will help us to better our police force or improve it at least to some extent. The common good should be realized through our law enforcement agents.
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS
This section is designed to consider possible solutions to the problem already stated. How do we improve the image of Nigeria police and see to it that they carry-out their duties in a way that they will devote themselves to promotion of common good. Nnamdi Azikiwe opinionated that there is need for us to appreciate that the status-quo is not the best of all possible worlds.7Thus, there is always need for us to seek solutions to transcend and improve ourselves.
In the first place, there should be serious police reforms and re-orientation by the federal government of Nigeria especially for the police and then, members of the public on the correct conception of what police work entails. The police work is geared towards the welfare of the public or the human society. People should not see police as it was used during the colonial era by the colonizers, which was to advance economic and political agenda; to exploit the public or their colonies. Rather, a protective and service -oriented police should be conceived and fostered. When police officers have the correct conception of police work and are trained in that direction, it will go a long way to shape their mode of action; to work for the common good. This is because it is when there is right conception and conviction that there will be right attitude.
On another note, there should be a critical recruitment procedure, professional and adequate training of those properly and critically recruited. There should be serious screening, paying attention to psychological make-ups of the recruits, to avoid recruiting those with certain psychological problems that would endanger police operations. Again, those properly screened should be given an adequate training towards professionalism, efficiency, and right attitude to police work. It is when this happens that police officers that have foresight of the interest of the people in mind and deed can be ensured. The police should be trained towards service for the welfare or good of the society they are to protect or guard.
Another very important contribution is on ensuring a detailed and workable police welfare strategies. It is said that a hungry man is an angry man. The police officers are human beings with existential needs like others. Therefore, I think that their needs and welfare have to be properly attended to, in order to encourage them to work selflessly in service of their community. The federal government should always budget enough money to improve police welfare, which includes housing, payment of salaries, grants and other benefits. It is when a policeman with a family is given attention that he is disposed to work for common good. This is because a policeman who works for common good should be able to secure his private goods but, it is only when he is dedicated to the common good that he can secure his own good.
Similarly, there should be rewarding of good and hard-working or brave policemen and punishment of erring ones. It is when those who have been doing well are properly rewarded that they are encouraged, and others are encouraged as well to imitate them to work selflessly. On the other hand, processes for receiving complaints on police misconduct should be free and reachable to the public and tracking systems to provide some protection against police efforts to dismiss or cover up complaints. There should be a guarantee of security of complainants against any possible threats or reprisals. Again, those handling such complaints should keep in touch with the public on how they are handled through the media. Thus, erring policemen should be assuredly penalized, and this will serve as a deterrent to others. This is because justice is necessary for any police functionary who violates force code of conduct. Perhaps, this may make others to reconsider their ways and treat human lives with some respect and work of common good and not for selfish interest.
On who should monitor police operations, with the X-squad and others who do that already, there should also be public eyes on police operations and independent human right groups should be asked to help in this regard. Such non-governmental human right organizations should be given a place in the constitution to probe human right abuse by the police, and there should be independent lawyers attached to such human rights groups. I think it will help to guard the guardians to work for public interest. Similarly, the people should constitute part of this watch on police operation, so that it will be a reciprocal guardiance (as the police guard the people, the people will also have the opportunity to check police excesses). I believe that this will guard the action of a policeman on duty in public. It means that they should be known and reliable places for people to lodge their observations and reports. This, perhaps, will also improve police-people relationship. Again, community policing and police-public partnership should be advanced and strengthened for positive interactions between the police at the grassroots for overall good of all, both the police and the public.
Furthermore, the media should be a way of checking both the positive and negative activities of the police. In this regard, there should be network media programmes designed to scrutinize and probe police-public complaints, which should be of great interest to the Inspector General of police to tackle or address.
In all, there should be adequate funding of Nigeria Police Force, taking care of police improved resources, adequate and modernized police equipment or arms, funding of various police committees especially the complaint and disciplinary committee, police welfare commission, police housing, recreational facilities, adequate and prompt payment of allowances, financial aids, rewarding of policemen who have been doing well annually in media, and so on. There should be yearly estimation and budgeting of enough money to take care of these. Most importantly, a policeman should not be greedy and selfish because without disposition to be selfless and work for common good, there may still be abuses even when such policemen are cared for.
Finally, there should be life insurance for police officers and enviable insurance on the family of a police officer who might lose his life in active service. These are seen as a kind of an attempt to suggest how the guardians should be guarded for overall realization of the common good of human community.
CONCLUSION
There is no gainsaying the fact that pursuit of self-interest cannot be compromised with the common good for which every society exists. For there to be overall progress in human society, they ought to be promotion and protection of common good. Thomas Aquinas pointed out that laws are made for the common good of the community. That is to say that the law enforcement agents could be said to enforce the realization of common good. There is then, the need to ensure that the police as a law enforcement agency perform towards the welfare of the community that they police. This is in consonance with an insight made by Bradley and Ewing, which holds that:
There is a need to make sure that the police have adequate measures to protect the public without at the same time conferring powers that undermine the very foundation of the society existing for the common good of her citizens, of which the police are employed to protect or defend.8
This is because, in the opinion of Gbenga Abegunde, if custodians of law and order become lawless, then anarchy rules.9
On another note, if this common good is to be realized, adequate attention and seriousness have to be paid to their welfare, so that they will be able to take care of themselves while caring for societal welfare. In the opinion of J. Maritain, common good is received in persons and it is in working for common of the society that the private good is met.10
Again, in as much as the welfare of the Nigeria police should be ensured, the policemen should have the correct conception of police work and perform as such. The police work is a service-oriented one, even though force is applied in some circumstances. Human life is only meaningful to the extent it is lived in the service of humanity. Police work is a risky job, but it is as well optional and humanitarian, and for those who have chosen the path of angels to defend justice and protect the community from the lawless. Common good demands sacrifice and dedication for the sake of others. As such, those who dedicated their life for common good were not foolish but heroes that would have immortalized their existence in human history and society. Buttressing this insight, J. Maritain avers:
In losing itself, in a temporal sense, for the sake of the city, the person sacrifices itself in the most real and complete fashion. Yet the person is not defeated; the city still serves it because the soul of man is immortal, and because the sacrifice gives grace one more chance11
Even though that Nigeria police force promotes common good in very many ways, but when those who ought to promote the common good are sometimes seen using what they have (arms) to pursue their selfish interests, then, it is not the promotion but a mockery of common good. Thus, this philosophical essay designed to consider ways to ameliorate this tendency can be said to achieve its purpose, using the insights demonstrated so far. They can at least go along way to give foresights on how to see police work and why and what police should perform. The common good should not be compromised in any human society. That is why it is pertinent that in the field of maintaining public law and order, in detection and prosecution of crime, police operations and decisions should constantly favour the exercise of discretion, choice between alternative courses of action, and setting of priorities for the use of limited resources and for assurance of the common good of the state.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Akeredolu-Ale, E.O., Social problems and criminality in Nigeria, Enugu: Federal DSC unity, 1979.
- Akukwe, F.N., Towards a New Society, Enugu: Cecta Ltd., 1988.
- Aquinas, T., Summa Theologia, no. 24, Ia, IIae, Q96 m. Summa Theologia, Ia- m, ae, a4.
- Bunyard, R. S., Police: Organization and Command, Britain: MacDonald & Evans Ltd, 1978.
- Chillingworth, J., Policeman, Netherlands: Lutherworth Press, 1961
- Clark, M. T., (ed.) An Aquinas, Selections from the writings of Thomas Aquinas, New York: Doubleday and company Inc., 1977.
- Composta, D., Moral Philosophy and Social Ethics, Rome: Urban university press.
- Copleston, F., A History of Philosophy vol. 5, New York: Doubleday Dell publishing group Inc., 1994.
- Ekei, J., Justice in Communalism, Lagos: Realm Communications Ltd., 2001.
- Gonsalves, A., Fagothey’s Right and Reason, Ethics in theory and practice, rev. ed., London: Charles E. Merrill publishing company, 1986.
- Heidegger, M., Being and Time (translated by John Macquarrire and Edward Robinson), Oxford: Blackwell 1962.
