21 April, 2008

Sierra Express

Should Commercial Drivers Go On Strike?

Last week, commercial drivers (Poda Poda & Okada) took action that could best be described as a strike. That action disrupted social activities in the city of Freetown. Reasons that lead to the strike action were cloudy as drivers refused to talk to the public or bring it to the public forum. However, according to the outspoken chairman of the Regent Road Drivers Association, Abu Kargbo, (commonly known as Igwe), the strike action was as a result of the daily unlawful detention that drivers have been subjected to in past three months. “What has angered us the most is the rampant extortion and detention that drivers are undergoing as I talk to you by police officers,” Kargbo expressed his grief.  He specifically pointed fingers on the Lumley Police Officers, Cline Town, Cottage and Eastern Police.

He went on further to explain that drivers who ply the Lumley/Eastern police route are taxed Le 2,000 each to officers at the Eastern police area every early morning and also in the evening. The chairman says that when a driver is being stopped by a police officer, he is first of all taxed to pay some amount of money and if that driver is incapable of paying the money then he is arrested and charged to court even if he has not committed a crime.

A driver at the Regent Road Park who talked to Sierra Express on anonymity said that some time last week he was arrested on a simple crime of hooting his horn when he wanted to alert a pedestrian that a vehicle is approaching him. The driver showed astonishment on that kind of behavior. He said that he was arrested and detained at Lumley Police Station but was released the following morning after he had; what he called bailed himself out with the sum of Le 50,000. When our reporter put it to this driver that bribery is a crime; the driver responded that there is no alternative for them as it seems the law does not protect them as citizens of Sierra Leone. He recounted an incident where he was arrested and he refused to bribe and he charged to court and in court even though it was a different person that did not arrest him that was prosecuting he was fined.

On contacting police officers that are responsible for traffic, the police described the allegations as false and baseless. One police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, told this press that the drivers are creating a false strike as a cover up for the general check that has been put in place. The officer said many drivers are not responsible in executing their job and when they are arrested on that account they start to raise false alarm. “It is our responsibility to protect lives and properties and for that reason we will by all means curb out recklessness in driving in the country,” said the officer. The officer went on to say that the drivers are not proper drivers that are going around with peoples lives at their mercy.

Who then is responsible for this and who is to blame. The problem is stuck between the drivers, police officers and the entire citizenry. The claims and counter-claims made by both parties are many and can be justified by both sides. It centers on a genuine standard of ethics on both sides. It resides on honesty, sincerity, integrity and patriotism.

The urge for money involves the giving and taking and the principles that guard ones life. It is a socio-cultural predicament that has become endemic in our society. Bribery is a plague and a disease which must be fought on all fronts. But the root cause of bribery is low wages and the continued oppression and suppression of subordinates by superiors across government establishments. Some school of thought holds the view that, to prevent such scenario, government functionaries (civil servants) must be well paid. After all, in highly developed societies, people are engaged in bribery. But it is a negligible one because salaries can sustain people’s lives.

Police officers today believe that they should return home with their pocket filled with money and therefore they go all out to harass and demean themselves, and in the process compromise their profession and dignity for a pittance. It is said that police officers do leave home very early in the morning without providing money for food and it is when they arrive in what is known as the “Track” that they extort money and send it to their wives. This has caused the police officers to download their burden on drivers and other people who see making trouble as their profession. But as I said before, the root cause for this is the money being paid to these police officers as salaries. In Sierra Leone, police officers are ashamed to disclose their salaries because it is disgraceful. Police are afraid to leave their job without making it in life because the society will laugh at them. Many police officers that are not able to be at least average living are looked upon as nonentities and no one is ready to help them. This stigma gives the urge to police officers whilst in job to work the extra mile to make some achievements before their retiring date. In Sierra Leone people think a person in a job should be rich; for example customs, immigration and police. This is the reason that I am saying that the general citizenry is responsible for public officers to be corrupt.

The revenue the government collects in this country is through the help of the police. If there were no police presence in government places, or people know that they will not be arrested by police for not paying their taxes, government would find it very difficult in the administration of the country. But when these monies are collected some selfish people will squander them forgetting those ones that are busy saving them when they are sleeping at night. So the vicious cycle continues unabated. What a Sierra Leone going mad for money!!?  It should be integrity driven and sincere in that court to execute and enforce national traffic principles. They are stakeholders in all governments and an evidence of hope on whom the citizenry depends for companionship. They are close peopling than the rest in the chain of command hence the idea of the community policing partnership board which is another topic for discussion.

The relationship between the police and the citizenry should be cordial, respectful and dignified. The police should endeavor to uphold their dignity and not to be waxed into depravity as they should not tacit their dignity by malicious exploitation for money. Government and administrators in the police have a responsibility to perform. They should map a strategy plan that would flow on psychic enhancement of recruits during the training process. A rigorous and thorough training in this regard can enhance capacity and integrity building. There is no doubt that the police are on the right path to development through reformism which is the best that can be done in a seemingly degenerating state of an individual or a nation. This is the reason we are calling the police as force for good. There should be reformed policing standards and society values - once there is a will, there is a way.

It is a two way process. And this reminds me of the president’s call for a positive attitude change which must be demonstrated by all and sundry. The culture of giving bribes is endemic and people indulge in it without even taking notice that they are engaging in unwarranted, unethical and damaging norm for our society. For a society that thrives in such practices it is a dead society which drives itself into disaster. Maybe, we cannot be blamed totally. The action to give and ask for something is embedded in African Culture and tradition. Islam and Christianity, two dominant religions in our society, stress the importance of giving alms. Thus, the African people have a natural chromosome that accelerates and proposes them to give, even when it is unwarranted and destructive. So, drivers do not see it as anything bad and destructive when willingly and on their own volition offer money (bribe) to police officers. Why do they want to complain now when it is they who had prod the appetite of the police and nurture it to fruition?

Let us go back to history for a while. When the Europeans (British) came, they taught us that we should give so that when we die we may go to heaven. We abandoned our religions and accepted it. We never considered the consequences of abandoning our religions for other person’s religion. What were they doing? They were busy carting away our precious minerals leaving us utterly destitute. And what did they tell us, “Learning is better than Silver and Gold.” It is after we have been plundered that we realized we have nothing more for ourselves. This is the source of our present predicament. And now we are engaged in helping our brothers and sisters in the police languish when they retire from their job. After all, they have nothing, they are destitute, and they are not well paid, so let’s give them from the little we have.

This is what we have been accepting our nature to be but we must do away with it and adopt that which is good for our society’s survival. We are aware of the damaging effect but we are still holding onto the bad attitude that has been damaging our society. The ferocious habit continues and hunts posterity. We should all work for a positive Sierra Leone that borders on integrity and honesty which fosters patriotism through a positive attitude change that ushers in progress and development in the land that we often boastfully claim we love. Police should be put in a better condition to prevent them from bribery. The police also should know the condition of the police at the time they voluntarily opted to be police men and women. They endure the hardship and serve their people so that God/Allah will reward them.

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