ICMS, Inc Reports
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
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The Nigerian government has introduced a new and very welcome
policy across the country to improve the safety of travelers and enable the
free flow of goods and travel in the country.
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| Nigerian Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Ibrahim K. Idris |
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| Nigerian Police officer taking bribe from a commercial bus driver |
More specifically, and according to the statement; the
directive immediately abolishes road blocks especially along the Lagos-Ibadan,
Shagamu-Benin, Benin-Onitsha, Okene-Abuja, Kaduna-Kano, Katsina-Kano,
Otukpo-Enugu, Enugu–Port Harcourt expressways. These checkpoints and many
similar road blocks across the country have been a source of frustration to the
general public over a very long period of time.
According to the statement from the IGP, “No police department,
section, squad or unit should mount roadblock without the express permission”
from him. The announcement noted that the Special X-Squad teams of the Nigerian
Force are being deployed nationwide and are directed to arrest, investigate and
discipline any police personnel violating the directives. The statement cautions police personnel
conducting patrols to properly identify their patrol vehicles, especially those
serving along the border routes in the country.
Also expected to be dismantled immediately are illegal revenue
and tax collecting road blocks across the country representing various transportation
unions which restrict the free movement of vehicles and the unrestrained passage
of passengers and commercial goods.
Excerpt from the IGP's statement:
“For avoidance of doubt, the Taxes and Levies act, Laws of
Federation of Nigeria 2004 section 2 (2) disallowed any person, including a Tax
Authority from mounting a Road block in any part of the Federation for the
purposes of collecting any Tax or Levy. “While monitoring and ensuring full
compliance of this directive by all the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force,
the Force hereby advised the relevant State Governments, Local Government
Councils, Boards of States Internal Revenue service, and various Transport
Unions, Labor and Traders Associations that it is against the law for any
organization to create a blockage to restrict or restrain members of the public
the free usage of Roads and Highways anywhere in the country,”
Commentary
What is amazing about this current action of the Inspector General
is this. About two years ago, a similar directive was given by President
Muhammadu Buhari ordering the immediate dismantling of all military checkpoints
in the country.
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| Military check points where abolished by Nigerian President Buhari over two years ago |
The president directed the Nigeria police to take charge of internal
security in the country. The directive at the time from the president had
instructed the Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff to get the Chief of Army Staff
and Inspector General of Police to remove all the military men along the road
across the country.
The question is why was it necessary as a policy decision to remove the
military men from Nigerian check points and allow the police to man the check
points? Was the Nigerian police better able to man check points than the military? Whatever may have been the underlying policy rational then to maintain
check points across the country, it now appears that the whole notion of maintaining check
points has proven to be a bad policy from the government perspective, both from a safety and economic development perspective. What led to the Nigerian government to change its mind regarding the value of mounting road check points?
Nevertheless, one must applaud the government's determination and realization that road blocks in Nigeria are bad and inhibit the free flow of traffic and
limit the free movement of goods and travelers. Road blocks also provide
opportunities for corrupt police officials, armed robbers etc., to rob and extract
brides from travelers. There are also frequent incidences of skirmishes between
travelers and road blockers that have resulted in the unwarranted deaths of travelers.
Commercial drivers and traders are especially vulnerable at check points and are subjected
to various types of harassment, extortion, intimidation, illegal revenue/tax
collectors across the country.
The economic cost associated with these road blocks over the
decades has never been determined but it is assumed to be in the millions of
Naira in terms of increased cost of doing business, loss of economic efficiency
etc. Only time will tell whether the
actions taken by the Inspector General of police will result in a marked
improvement of road safety and security and increased economic efficiency across
the country. One thing that will definitely and immediately be obvious is a sense
of relieve from harassment and intimidation to the traveling public.
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