ON THE POLICE OFFICER WHO NEVER TOOK BRIBE, BUT RESIGNED OVER NON-PROMOTION - THE NEED FOR RELEVANT POLICE AUTHORITIES TO ADDRESS THIS WRONG
January 5, 2021 | News
I could not help but give attention to a reported news that has gone viral online, of one Francis Osagie Erhabor, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of āDā Division Itam in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, who is acclaimed to have never taken a bribe since over 30 years in active service, but has decided to resign from the profession over non-promotion.
ON THE POLICE OFFICER WHO NEVER TOOK BRIBE, BUT RESIGNED OVER NON-PROMOTION - THE NEED FOR RELEVANT POLICE AUTHORITIES TO ADDRESS THIS WRONG
I could not help but give attention to a reported news that has gone viral online, of one Francis Osagie Erhabor, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of ‘D’ Division Itam in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, who is acclaimed to have never taken a bribe since over 30 years in active service, but has decided to resign from the profession over non-promotion.
Though, I do not know the said Francis Osagie Erhabor, but if what has been written about him is true, then this is wrong. I was told the Police Authorities have refused to approve his resignation. But I would appeal to the relevant Authorities in the Nigerian Police Force, to address this wrong because such a Police Officer deserves to be honoured, commended, and the benefits attached to his deserved promotion considered, before his resignation is approved since he is no longer motivated to work as a Nigerian Police officer.
It is really sad that people who work with their hearts and minds are often frustrated out of the system by evil people. And with such happenings in the nation's security agencies, officers and men in these Security Forces will not be motivated to put in their best in the discharge of their duties. Rather, it will only make them to seek after their pockets since the system does not recognize and promote diligence in service. These are some of the issues that are promoting corruption in the nation's Security agencies, including the Civil Service, where promotion of officials is mostly based on who you know, and the buttons you press.
According to reports, the said Police Officer, Erhabor, made headlines after rejecting a whopping N864 million bribe, and it was only in December 10, 2020, at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, in Abuja, during the 2020 IgbereTV Leadership Excellence Awards, that he was named ‘Police officer of the year’ after coming tops in the nationwide online voting.
However, the police officer also lamented that he feels cheated by the system, having been denied promotion more than thrice despite all his efforts and sacrifices for the police force and the country. In his words: “I loved and believed in this project called Nigeria, and the profession, the Nigeria Police was a great platform to serve my fatherland. I sincerely believed in this job, loved this job and sacrificed so much for this job. Looking back, all I see is "NOBODY CARES". Being cheated out of promotion not once, twice or thrice. Served over thirty years meritoriously and stainless by God's grace, and not honoured by the system, instead have only enjoyed promotion only 5 times. I thank God for His grace, that insulated me for the past 30yrs.”
The truth, regardless of the flaws and shortcomings in the Nigerian Police Force, which is mostly man-made, I believe we do have Police Officers like Erhabor who are diligent in their work and service to the force and nation, still in the system that needs to be recognized and given the promotions due to them. This is one way we can motivate security officers, and address the issue of corruption in the system.
Zik Gbemre.
January 5, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
I could not help but give attention to a reported news that has gone viral online, of one Francis Osagie Erhabor, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of ‘D’ Division Itam in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, who is acclaimed to have never taken a bribe since over 30 years in active service, but has decided to resign from the profession over non-promotion.
Though, I do not know the said Francis Osagie Erhabor, but if what has been written about him is true, then this is wrong. I was told the Police Authorities have refused to approve his resignation. But I would appeal to the relevant Authorities in the Nigerian Police Force, to address this wrong because such a Police Officer deserves to be honoured, commended, and the benefits attached to his deserved promotion considered, before his resignation is approved since he is no longer motivated to work as a Nigerian Police officer.
It is really sad that people who work with their hearts and minds are often frustrated out of the system by evil people. And with such happenings in the nation's security agencies, officers and men in these Security Forces will not be motivated to put in their best in the discharge of their duties. Rather, it will only make them to seek after their pockets since the system does not recognize and promote diligence in service. These are some of the issues that are promoting corruption in the nation's Security agencies, including the Civil Service, where promotion of officials is mostly based on who you know, and the buttons you press.
According to reports, the said Police Officer, Erhabor, made headlines after rejecting a whopping N864 million bribe, and it was only in December 10, 2020, at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, in Abuja, during the 2020 IgbereTV Leadership Excellence Awards, that he was named ‘Police officer of the year’ after coming tops in the nationwide online voting.
However, the police officer also lamented that he feels cheated by the system, having been denied promotion more than thrice despite all his efforts and sacrifices for the police force and the country. In his words: “I loved and believed in this project called Nigeria, and the profession, the Nigeria Police was a great platform to serve my fatherland. I sincerely believed in this job, loved this job and sacrificed so much for this job. Looking back, all I see is "NOBODY CARES". Being cheated out of promotion not once, twice or thrice. Served over thirty years meritoriously and stainless by God's grace, and not honoured by the system, instead have only enjoyed promotion only 5 times. I thank God for His grace, that insulated me for the past 30yrs.”
The truth, regardless of the flaws and shortcomings in the Nigerian Police Force, which is mostly man-made, I believe we do have Police Officers like Erhabor who are diligent in their work and service to the force and nation, still in the system that needs to be recognized and given the promotions due to them. This is one way we can motivate security officers, and address the issue of corruption in the system.
Zik Gbemre.
January 5, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes