CP Singham and the Price of Integrity (Opinion)

By Dr Nuruddeen Muhammad

Let me start by confessing that l am a huge fan of Singham. First, he irrevocably won my heart with his actionable rhetoric on drugs. He led an onslaught on the tripod upon which drugs use rest; the dealers, logistics and end users. Drug wars are as real as they both are tempting and deadly. He won on both fronts.

He was very fearless in disrupting the logistics and getting the users rounded just as he wasn’t tempted with huge financial offers when he took the war to the dealers. Drug fighters have strong moral fibres, CP Wakili is one of them!

Second, when Singham arrived Kano, the political atmosphere was ripe with threats of political violence that occasionally got real. His professional conduct and initial good record from the drug war established an atmosphere of confidence. Both the presidential and the first leg of the gubernatorial runs were largely peaceful. Singham got even wider acclaim. He was revered and admired.

I have honest difficulties making commentaries on issues that may be politically charged and misrepresented. But as young people and possibly the future, we may have to be bold enough to occasionally generate meaningful conversations that might positively shape our future. Weak law enforcement is at the core of our problems as a society.

I have pencilled down the police as my top priority institution if l were to be the President anyday. Singham gave me hope, that within the force, are very credible and fearless officers who can flash their badge on anyone’s face

Few days to the re run on the 23rd however, a certain DIG, I think about two AiGs and some Commissioners were all drafted to Kano. l immediately knew my Singham would be no more. His authority would definitely be supplanted by his superior officers. Whoever took that decision at Louis EDet house probably knew even more.

I have listened, watched and read commentaries about the conduct of the re run elections of Saturday 23rd March, 2019 in Kano. Majority of the opinions were conclusive that the first leg of the elections involving the whole of Kano State was more peaceful than that which involved only about 200 polling units. I don’t know what your views are. But it is clear that Singham was able to deliver more interms of policing than what the combined team of his superiors offered. That is the irony

I saw CP Wakil at the state command yesterday. He was still his comical, professional and fearless self. His officers and men also appear to still have confidence in him. He was cheered, treated like a super star and almost mobbed by his own boys. Then a certain thought crept in. Where was Singham when Kano burnt a couple of days back?

I silently hoped he will have a little more of morale left in him to still go after the drug cartel comfortably destroying the whole of Northern Nigeria from their hide outs in kano. I hope he does. I am told he will. Because throughout his career he has been sidelined, side stepped supplanted and embarrassed. Even that DIG and the AIGs that sent him to Sumaila could infact be his juniors in the Force, as he was sevarally passed over for promotions.

He has always been punished for his honesty. In the end, when he retires in a couple of weeks, he would have won. The looser, as usual is Nigeria and it’s citizens who find no moral qualms in punishing the upright amongst them