THE Minister of the Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau is not new to
public office. A three star general at the point of retirement, he was
for some years the Chief of Army Staff in the Goodluck Jonathan
administration. Even though his tenure as the CoAS was not particularly
distinguished nor was he noted for any major achievement while in the
military, he nevertheless carried himself in a rather dignifying way.
His deep baritone together with his imposing physique gave him
presence. Combine this with the fact that he is the proud possessor of a
doctorate degree in criminology (?) (which will seem to suggest that he
is something of an intellectual) and you have what might be considered
the right picture of a soldier and a gentle man. Nigeria’s own version
of US Army’s General David Petraeus. Even though, as earlier remarked,
his time as the CoAS was unremarkable, and as average as average could
be, his re-emergence in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari
would suggest that there might be more to his person than meets the
eye. Dambazzau
For making it into Buhari’s ministerial team of angels, as some
Nigerians derisively called the president’s cabinet on account of the
many months it took him to draw up his ministerial list and assemble his
team, one would be excused to think that General Dambazau must be an
achiever, albeit, one either under-rated or yet to be recognised. His
appointment would therefore seem a second chance for him to reinvent
himself. Personally, I had allowed myself to be persuaded by
speculations in the media that he would be appointed the Minister of
Defense given his background in the military and his status as a former
Chief of the Nigerian Army. But he was deployed to the Ministry of the
Interior. Buhari probably thought less of his attributes as a soldier
than his administrative and intellectual skills that might be better
suited to manage several of the paramilitary forces under his assigned
ministry.
Generally Dambazau appeared to operate from the background; neither
did nor said anything important while still in the Army. This no doubt
shielded him from public attention. His reticence as a soldier may
neither be possible nor desirable in a civil administration. The type of
protection that his uniform afforded him might no longer be possible in
his new position. Which is to say that the true character of the man
might gradually be showing now. And the picture that is developing from
this might not be entirely flattering to his person. In fact, what is
coming up, the face of General Dambazau that Nigerians are beginning to
see could possibly not be uglier than it presently is. What is emerging
is the picture of a supposedly sophisticated and decent human being with
a feudal mindset. This is hardly a nice introduction to the general
public. Nigerians were righteously outraged to see the picture of one of
the minister’s security agent crouched at his feet cleaning his shoes
in the full glare of the public. The minister sat back in a manner that
suggests he is used to such demeaning and psychologically brutalising
treatment of his personal staff and subordinates, free born Nigerians
like him. He looked on with feline complacency as his security man
dusted his shoes from one foot to the other. It never occurred to him
that the man’s brief was to protect him and not as a shoe- shine boy who
in such circumstance would be doing that for which he is paid. Dambazau
apparently enjoyed this foolishly servile gesture from a secret agent.
Nigerians may just be getting to know Dambazau, even if from a
distance, and they are not amused by his big man airs. But I first
started feeling disappointed in the man after I saw television footage
of him addressing staff of one of the ministries under his supervision.
This was shortly after the new ministers had been sworn into office and
he was on some kind of familiarisation visit to the said ministry. As if
speaking to soldiers at a drill ground, our man addressed his listeners
in a manner one shouldn’t talk to adults. His tone and voice was both
authoritarian and threatening. The last time I saw a public officer
addressing civil servants like that was during the military era. But Mr.
Dambazau was either blissfully unaware or unperturbed by the
inappropriateness of his instructions, a form of verbal violence, to his
listeners. That episode got me rethinking my earlier favourable
impression of ‘His Excellency’. And even though I would have expected a
more sophisticated behaviour from someone of his professional and
intellectual attainments, his latest misconduct seems one of a type with
the earlier one. File: Viral photo of the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahaman Dambazau, having his shoes being cleaned by a DSS official
The general reactions of Nigerians, impassioned and angry, should
send a message to the likes of General Dambazau that their conduct is no
longer acceptable in this country. It is appropriate that this has
happened at a time Nigerians have had reasons to complain about how
policemen and others within the security apparatus are being employed in
degrading and unbecoming roles when on escort duties with or serving as
security aides to some of our big men and women. These security
personnel, usually police officers, are often saddled with less than
dignifying responsibilities. They function as hand bag carriers,
messengers, traffic wardens and attack dogs for their principals. This
is aside their roles as domestic staff that go on market and related
errands for their principal’s spouse. Many of these professional
security men, it seems, now see their undignified activities as normal,
especially where there are personal gains to be made. Many struggle to
be posted to such ‘lucrative’ beats where they can continue to play the
role of porters, gardeners, cooks and steward even when in uniform.
To be sure, some of those on such duties still retain their sense of
dignity and resist the attempt to assault their self-worth. But such are
rare and are often seen as arrogant. They are stigmatised by both their
colleagues and their principals for their lack of ‘eye’ service. Now
the Police Service Commission has placed an embargo on police officers
taking on domestic responsibilities while promising to prune the
category of public officials entitled to police protection. But it is
Nigerians themselves that must continue to insist on the type of police
establishment they want and the conduct expected of such officers
deserving of a place in it. It shouldn’t be a matter to be decided by
the officers involved or the person(s) they are assigned to protect. It
is the image of the Nigerian people and that of our police officers that
is at stake. Nothing should be done to undermine it. Not even the empty
airs of bloated egos.
VANGUARD
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