Anti- corruption war: Children should question parents who live above their means – Police Chief

 
By; Raymond Tedunjaye, Lagos.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, Fatai Owoseni has tasked children to be courageous to demand for the take-home pay of their parents and query them whenever they seem to live above their means.
Specifically, he urged children of Police officers to challenge their parents whenever they were found to be collecting bribe, saying this would go a long way to halt the menace among corrupt Policemen.
He maintained that corruption would be eradicated in the society if children are courageous enough to begin to query their parents when they live above their means.
Owoseni, who spoke while fielding questions from pupils and students of some selected private and public schools during a “Career Talk on Nigeria Police”, as part of activities to mark the 2016 Police Week by the Command, asserted that this would be part of the children’s’ contribution in making the country better for all if they could embark on it, adding that children in advanced countries do same.
“Corruption can be fought from the angle of children, at your age, we want to use you as vanguard of change in the society. You can challenge your father to know about his salary and the things he brings home. If what he brings home is more than the salary, you challenge him and if you do that he will be ashamed and stop doing that, children abroad are also doing it”, he charged.
Reacting to a question by one White Olasunkanmi, a student of State Senior High School, GRA Ikeja, on why Policemen do collect bribe, Owoseni said it is unlawful and ethically wrong for a Policeman to collect bribe under any circumstance, adding that it would do the society a greater good if the children reports them to the authority whenever they are found in the act.
The Police Commissioner however pointed out that the menace is borne out of broken down of values from homes, where children demand for gratification from their parents or elders to go on errand or perform basic domestic responsibilities.
“There is no reason for Policemen to collect bribe, it is wrong and unlawful for a Policeman to collect bribe, it is a curse for a Policeman to collect bribe. Anywhere you see them, help us challenge them and it will be better for the society. If possible, move closer, get his name and number and text an sms to the Police public relations officers lines and others that are made available.
“At your age, we want to use you as a vanguard of change in the society. It is ethically wrong for you to be influenced in anyway for you to do what you have to do ordinarily at home. When your parents ask you to do a job for them, don’t demand for gratification to do it and always be contented with what your parents give you. That is what the bad eggs in the Police grew up with from their home before they join the Police”.
Harping on the theme of the Police Week celebration tagged “Police is Your Friend”, Owoseni stressed that Police is indeed friend of the people, saying “Police is rending help to humanity and we are suppose to be there for everybody”.
As part of efforts at making them agents of change, the Police Commissioner hinted that plans are afoot to set up what he called Student Voluntary Police Unit in schools, explaining that it is a move to get volunteers that will serve as warden and representatives of the Police within their various schools.
While delivering the career talk earlier, CSP Monday Agbonika explained that the essence was to make the students patriotic Nigerians, assist them to make career decision, adding that they can become whatever they want to become in life while serving the country as a Police officer.
Agbonika, who is the DPO Festac division, hinted that the Nigeria Police Academy has been upgraded to a degree awarding institution by the Nigeria University Commission (NUC), where one can study his/her choice of course, same as the normal universities and be awarded appropriate degrees.
While the entry requirement into the academy is credit pass of six subjects at O’Level through JAMB, Agbonika informed that enlistment into the Force as a constable is now through OND, NCE certificate or Advance “A” Level result.
He explained that the Police are saddled with the statutory duties of crime prevention, detection, preservation of law and order, and prosecution of offenders.