Tuesday 23 April 2013

Southeast Governance & Security Summit

Opening Remark by Kemi Okenyodo, Executive Director

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you on behalf of the CLEEN Foundation, the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Governors Forum and the Ford Foundation to this unique Summit aimed at discussing security and governance challenges in the south eastern part of Nigeria.

This Summit is being organised to bring together critical stakeholders in this region to discuss issues that have ‘easily beset this region’. Talking from the perspective of an outsider (a concerned one!), growing up, what one knew about this region was that it was a region that groomed industrious hard working men. This is illustrated in the caliber of persons that have emerged from the South East – the late Nnamdi Azikwe, late Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu, late Chinua Achebe, Chief Alex Ekuweme, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and in recent times Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Prof. Dora Akunyili to mention a few.

The active nature of community development associations is also a brand of the south east communities – so strong is this brand that where ever you go in this country and outside the shores of the country, you are sure to find CDAs as avenues where Igbo people would come together periodically (weekly / monthly) as a group to interact and address issues that are common to them. That is how their culture of hardwork and achievement values have been propagated.

Another positive thing I have seen about the South East is that the average Igbo man or woman is very religious; religion has a strong influence on the people. It is a point of convergence – in the community, place of business. At 12pm prompt either in Lagos or Abuja you are sure that the Igbo traders would start praise / worship and prayers in the market place.

There is something unique about each state in this region:
1. Abia – houses Aba, which can be said to be the Italy or China of the region. The artisans in Aba can immitate any fashion design- particularly leather products (shoes, bags, belts etc) of the high streets in New York, England or Paris.

2. Anambra – with the waters can be ?? and the great minds of the region – the great Chinua Achebe who is the father of African literature, and Chief Emeka Anyaoku.

3. Enugu – houses one of the ivy league universities in the country, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The city is also becoming a destination point for Nollywood as movie location.

4. Ebonyi – an agricultural community which produces good quality local rice – Abakaliki rice.

5. Imo – which can be said to be gateway state to other South East / South-South states and emerging as a tourist or confluence state with about 6 tertiary institutions and the home of Nigeria’s most prominent civil society actors.

All this notwithstanding, we are here because all is not well; or do I say, because the South East can be better off than it is at the moment.

Despite all the positive indicators listed above developmental challenges have plagued the region in the past 14 years. The indices for human insecurity are high – poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, human capital flight (brain drain) etc.

Even though it could be argued this has been characteristic of the entire Nigeria, evidence is showing that the South East needs specific attention.

All the above has invariably increased the insecurity in the region. Criminality is at its peak. 90% of the people from the South East interviewed in the last National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) conducted annually by CLEEN responded were scared of becoming a victim of crime. That is 9 out of 10!

There is also the negative one linked to treatment and respect for women. Observing the region, one can get the impression that women are seen as ‘chattels’ and extrinsic value is not placed on them as persons. The South East ranks second highest on domestic violence at 36%, far above the national average which was 31% in the 2012 National Crime Victimization Survey.

The face of law enforcement and policing one sees in Lagos and Abuja is totally different from what one finds in the South East, where the security and law enforcement officials have become an ‘occupying force’. As transparency and accountability is low and the tendency of oppressing and abusing the rights of the people appears high.

In summary, good governance guarantees security where the structure, functions, purposes, powers and duties of government must serve the interest and satisfy the aspirations of the people.

Society tends to be well secured when governments in power evolve and sustain economic policies and programmes capable of preventing crises and conflicts. Security is about the survival and positive conditions of human existence, about peace, development, justice, whose absence create the condition for conflict and insecurity. To paraphrase Achebe, we want to know where the rain started beating us in the South East.

CLEEN Foundation is a nongovernmental organisation aimed at promoting publuc safety, security and accessible justice in Nigeria and West Africa sub region at large. When we birthed the Owerri office it was with a view of having an office that would integrate projects / activities on security and governance in the South East. Being true to our strategy of engagement, we know that we cannot do it alone and have sought the cooperation of various role players and interest groups (from government to civil society organisations including community / town leaders, academia, media etc) to take a keen interest in the governance of the region and to promote right-based approach to community development.

We look forward an interactive 2-day discussion with the hope that at the end of our discussions we would leave here adopting a declaration on Security and Governance in the Southeast.

Welcome once again, and thank you.

Kemi Okenyodo

Monday 22 April 2013

Lagos police stations rank top in Nigeria


Umaru MankoThe Lagos State Police Command has been ranked first among the police commands in the country.
This followed the release of the national result of the Police Station Visitors’ Week conducted in 2012 by the prestigious Altus Global Alliance.
According to the result, seven police stations in the Lagos State Police Command were among the 10 best police stations in Nigeria.
The police stations include are the ones in Victoria Island, Alakuko, Badagry, Ajah, Ilupeju, Ijanikin and Alakara.
The other are those in Kuje in Abuja, Central Police Station in Awka in Anambra State and the Olu Obasanjo in Rivers State.
The overwhelming success of the police stations in Lagos State was attributed to their conformity to lay down international assessment modus by the Altus Global Alliance.
Blessing Abiri, the Africa Regional Representative of Altus Global Alliance, stated that the top 10 police stations met the requirements of a good police station.
Abiri said: “A  good police station is oriented to the community with adequate physical conditions.
“The station personnel have to know its public and treat them equally by providing trained staff and sources of information to attend to different community needs.
“Transparency and Accountability are two major aspects of a good police station and a good police station respects detainees’ rights and provides good detention conditions.”
The 2012 Police Station Visitors’ Week is the sixth edition.
It was conducted from December 3 to 9, 2012.
Six countries participated in Africa.
They include are Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia and Nigeria.
According to the press statement by Altus: “In Nigeria, 897 visitors participated; 483 (53%) of them were female while 414 (47%) were male. Two hundred and sixty-two police stations were visited in 14 police state commands namely: Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Niger, Rivers and Zamfara States. The visitors were sent in groups or teams; each team made up of an average of three persons. The team leader was responsible for coordinating the visit including writing narrative reports in line with the narrative report guideline by Altus.

“Visitors were drawn from diverse groups and organizations including Market Traders Associations, Artisans Associations, Women interest groups and special interest groups such as Persons Living with Disabilities, Schools, Local Government Councils, CSOs, CBOs, Ministry of Police Affairs, National Human Rights Commission, Legal Aid Council and everyday ordinary citizens. The leader of each team coordinates the visit to the police station and thereafter uploads the scores with the narrative report of their findings to Altus website specially designed for the purpose. He/she will then send the kits and the narrative report to the Altus representative’s office which in Nigeria is the CLEEN Foundation.”

Also, the comparative analysis of the overall assessment of performance of the police stations in Nigeria in 2012 and 2011 shows an average of 50.07 and 50.25 respectively.

The Adeniji Adele Police Station, Alakuko Police Station, Ebute Ero Police Station, Isokoko Police Station, Victoria Island Police Station in the Lagos State Police Command; the Gusau Police Station, Zamfara State Police Command; and the Mpape Police Station, FCT Police Command, were recognized and awarded stations with good policing practices.

Desire Nsirim, the Commissioner of Police Niger State Police Command, won the award as the Most Engaging Commissioner of Police.

Most Distinctive Improvement award went to the Mpape Police Station, Abuja.
It was won by SP Ayobami Turajudeen.

The Altus Annual Police Station Visitors’ Week is an international programme that is organized to facilitate local community groups visiting police stations and assessing the quality of services delivered by police departments, to identify best practices used by police and to strengthen the accountability of the police to the local community.

The programme relies on planned annual visits by community groups to their local police stations.
They align with people around the world to visit and review their local police stations by using a simple assessment tool kit composed of 20 questions based on five indicator areas.

The indicator areas are drawn from international laws and protocols on policing and human rights.
Altus Global is an alliance of six non-governmental organizations and academic centres in five continents, created in 2004 to promote safety and justice around the world from a multicultural perspective.

These organizations are: the Centre for Studies on Public Safety, Santiago, Chile; the Centre for studies on Public Security and Citizenship, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; the CLEEN Foundation, Lagos, Abuja, and Imo Institute for Development Communication; Chandigarh, India; INDEM Foundation, Moscow; Vera institute of Justice, New York.

Other international partners include the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Justice 4 All and the CHASE programme of the UK Department for International Development, London for Africa.

The PSVW Tool Kit includes a simple scoring system that allows each individual to assess each station in 20 areas, producing scores on five categories of service, including Community Orientation, Physical Condition, Equal Treatment of the Public, Transparency and Accountability and Detention Conditions.

According to the result, seven police stations in the Lagos State Police Command were among the 10 best police stations in Nigeria

http://theeagleonline.com.ng/news/lagos-police-stations-rank-top-in-nigeria/


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Tuesday 16 April 2013

Press Conference for the release of National Result of Police Station Visitors’ Week 2012

On behalf of the Altus Global Alliance and its member organization in Nigeria, CLEEN Foundation, the Nigeria Police Force, Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Justice 4 All, warmly welcome you all to this press briefing, which is being organized to publicly announce the Altus Police Station Visitors’ Week (PSVW) 2012 results and the National Award ceremony.

About Altus
   
Altus is an alliance of 6 non-governmental organizations and academic centers in five continents, created in 2004 to promote safety and justice around the world from a multicultural perspective. These organizations are:

1.      Centre for Studies on Public Safety, Santiago, Chile
2.      Centre for studies on Public Security and Citizenship, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
3.      CLEEN Foundation, Lagos, Abuja, and Imo
4.      Institute for Development Communication, Chandigarh, India
5.      INDEM Foundation, Moscow
6.      Vera institute of Justice, New York

One of the focal point of Altus's work is Police Accountability and since 2006 Altus Global Alliance has been carrying out the Altus Police Station Visitors’ Week in different countries across the 5 continents. Together, these organizations offer a greater capacity to work across matters on issues of safety and justice and a larger role for the civil society in advancing justice from a multicultural perspective.

What is PSVW all about?

The Altus annual Police Station Visitors' Week (PSVW) is an international program that is organized to facilitate local community groups visiting police stations and assessing the quality of services delivered by police departments, to identify best practices used by police and to strengthen the accountability of police to the local community.

The program relies on planned annual visits by community groups to their local police stations. They join with people around the world to visit and review their local police stations by using a simple assessment tool kit composed of 20 questions based in 5 indicator areas. The indicator areas are drawn from international laws and protocols on policing and human rights. By participating in the visits participants are overseeing and improving police services. The information they gather from during the visits are uploaded on to an innovative web- based model which simultaneously generates as a database.

For many of the visitors especially those who are female, poor, physical challenged persons or marginalized for other reasons the experience provides their first real access to local law enforcement and a platform for expressing their views about whether the police are serving all members of their community. The visitors use the PSVW Tool Kit to guide their visit, following protocols that are the same for visits around the world.

The PSVW Tool Kit includes a simple scoring system that allows each individual to assess each station in 20 areas, producing scores on five categories of service: 1) Community Orientation, 2) Physical Condition, 3) Equal Treatment of the Public, 4) Transparency and Accountability, and 5) Detention Conditions.

Immediately after each visit, participants answer a series of questions about what they observed. Their answers are later collected and uploaded to the Altus website. Using the ratings supplied by the visitors, the Altus website will calculate an overall score for each station and separate scores into five categories of service. Police stations that receive the highest overall scores will later be recognized with an award at a forum where it will share with colleagues, information about its winning practices. The Inspector General of Police and Commissioners of Police in the participating states will receive a summary of the scores of the participating police stations, this would directly help them enhance, modify or change the strategies of engagement and interaction with groups within the communities the police serve. The program does not seek to “shame and blame” any participating police department, but only provides score information to participating stations and visitors.

PSVW provides a unique platform for police departments to establish better relationships with their host communities by receiving valuable and difficult to obtain feedback from community members on where services lag, and how to improve the quality of services available. In the same aphorism, as part of a global program, visitors are able to place their individual judgments about the quality of police service at their own police stations in national, regional, and global contexts.

PSVW 2012 Edition

PSVW 2012 edition took take place from the 3rd December – 9th December, 2012. A total of 6 countries participated in African. These are:

1.      Benin
2.      Cameroon
3.      Ghana
4.      Kenya
5.      Liberia
6.      Nigeria
This year we mobilized more women, low income, religious, ethnic minority and other marginalized / vulnerable groups to participate in the visits.


PSVW 2012 in Nigeria

Summary

The sixth edition of the Police Station Visitors’ Week (PSVW) was conducted from 3rd to 9th of December 2012 in Nigeria. 897 visitors participated; 483 (53%) of them were female while 414 (47%) were male. Two Hundred and Sixty Two 262 Police Stations were visited in 14 police state commands namely: Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Niger, Rivers and Zamfara states. The visitors were sent in groups or teams; each team made up of an average of three persons. The team leader was responsible for coordinating the visit including writing narrative reports in line with the narrative report guideline by Altus.


Visitors were drawn from diverse groups and organizations including Market Traders Associations, Artisans Associations, Women interest groups and special interest groups such as Persons living with Disabilities, Schools, Local Government Councils, CSOs, CBOs, Ministry of Police Affairs, National Human Rights Commission, Legal Aid Council and everyday ordinary citizens. The leader of each team coordinates the visit to the police station and thereafter uploads the scores with the narrative report of their findings to Altus website specially designed for the purpose. He/she will then send the kits and the narrative report to the Altus representative’s office which in Nigeria is the CLEEN Foundation.


Overall Assessment
Overall assessment of a good police station is as follows:
Ø      A good police station is oriented to the community
Ø      Remarkable police station present adequate physical conditions
Ø      The station personnel have to know its public and treat them equally by providing trained staff and sources of information to attend to different community needs.
Ø      Transparency and Accountability are two major aspects of a good police station
Ø      A good police station respects detainees rights and provides good detention conditions

1.      Victoria Island police station, Lagos (98.67%)
2.      Alakuko police station, Lagos (96.25%)
3.      Badagry police station, Lagos (87%)
4.      Ajah Police Station, Lagos (83%)
5.      Ilupeju Police Station, Lagos (83%)
6.      Kuje Police Station, FCT (82.67%)
7.      Ijaniki Police Station, Lagos (88%)
8.      Alakara Police Station, Lagos (85.67%)
9.      Central Police Station Awka, Abia (83.33%)
10. Olu- Obasanjo Police Station, Rivers (82%)

The Summary of the performance of the top ten in Nigeria in the 5 Indicator Areas: 
Community Orientation
Physical Conditions
Equal Treatment of the Public
Transparency and Accountability
Detention Conditions
Alakuko, Lagos - 100%
Victoria Island , Lagos  - 96.67%
Victoria Island, Lagos  - 96.67%
Alakuko, Lagos - 100%
Victoria Island, Lagos - 100%
Victoria Island, Lagos - 100%
Badagry, Lagos - 93.33%

Alakuko, Lagos - 90%
Victoria Island - 100%
Alakuko, Lagos - 98.75%
Ajah, Lagos - 91.67%
Alakuko, Lagos  - 92.5%
Bode thomas, Lagos - 81.67%
Central Police Station, Awka, Abia - 95%

Central Police Station, Awka, Abia - 98.33%
Ijanikin, Lagos, 91.67%
Ajah , Lagos  - 91.67%
Kuje, FCT - 81.67%
Badagry Police Station, Lagos  - 91.67%
Owutu, Lagos - 98.33%
Alakara, Lagos - 90%
Ilupeju, Lagos  - 90%
Ajao Estate, Lagos  -88.33%


Badagry, Lagos - 80%

Kuje, FCT - 91.67%
Badagry, Lagos - 88.33%
Chachanga, Niger -90%
Chachanga, Niger - 87.5%

Central Police Station, Awka, Abia - 80%
Ikeja Police Station, Lagos - 90%
Ilupeju, Lagos - 87.5%
Kuje, FCT - 90%
Apapa, Lagos - 86.67%

Uwani, Enugu - 80%
Nkwere Police Station, Imo - 90%
Agbowa, Lagos - 85%
Ipakodo, Lagos - 88.33%
Akukanaw,  Enugu- 83.33%
Alade, Lagos - 75%
Central Police Station, Court Road, Awka, Anambra  - 86.67%
Ajah, Lagos - 85%
Olu Obasanjo, Rivers - 88.33%
Ijanikin, Lagos - 83.33%
Alakara, Lagos - 75%
Alakara , Lagos - 85%
D Division (Itam), Akwa Ibom - 81.67%
Ogui Divisional Hqtrs, Enugu - 86.67%

Chachanga, Niger - 75%
Ijanikin, Lagos - 85%
Igwuruta, Rivers - 81.67%




Comparative Analysis of the overall assessment of performance of the police stations in Nigeria in 2012 and 2011

S/N
Indicator Area
Score (2012)
Score (2011)
1.
Community Orientation
58.80 
59.44
2.
Physical Conditions
49.77
49.39
3.
Equal Treatment of the Public
46.92
46.45
4.
Transparency and Accountability
55.12
55.83
5.
Detention Conditions
49.76
50.13

Overall National Average
52.07
52.25


GOOD PRACTICES

Adeniji Adele Police Station, Lagos State Police Command
1. Hotspot patrol within the police station’s jurisdiction
2. Police Community interactive forums
3. Pictorial documentation of detainees

Alakuko Police Station, Lagos State Police Command
1. There is a borehole in the police station
2. There is a canteen
3. More female than male police officers in the police station

Ebute Ero Police Station, Lagos State Police Command
1. Good interpersonal skills exhibited by the police officers
2. Readiness of the DPO and his team to help the team

Gusau Police Station, Zamfara State Police Command
1. Ongoing community and police interaction program
2. Open forum for receiving and treating complaints


Isokoko Police Station, Lagos State Police Command
1. Prompt response from majority of the officers on duty
2. Adequate information about crimes in the areas
3. Adequate information about human rights of suspects and related matters

Mpape Police Station, FCT Police Command
1.      Neat Premises with locking ties and flowers
2.      Conducive working environment
3.      Cable TVs
4.      Stable power and water supply
5.      Good interpersonal skills exhibited by the police officers
6.      Well-furnished offices with oil stainless oil paint
7.      Neat and well sanitized cell detention facility
8.      Functional traffic section
9.      Good police and corporate relations
10. Equitable gender staffing

Victoria Island Police Station, Lagos State Police Command
1. Separate open office space for female officers and it is comfortable
2. Separate toilet facilities for female officers
3. Separate cells for female detainees
4. GIS mapping of jurisdiction

Most Engaging Commissioner of Police
Mrs Desire Nsirim – CP Niger State

Most Distinctive Improvement
Mpape Police Station – Abuja –SP Ayobami Turajudeen

We also use the opportunity to appreciate those that have made the PSVW a reality. The funding support for Nigeria is being provided by Justice for All (J4A) and Frederick Ebert Stiftung (FES); the CHASE program of the UK Department for International Development, London for Africa; the police organizations that have open their doors to the visitors – this is an indication of commitment to working closely with their communities. We thank you all for taking out time out of your busy schedules to grace this press briefing, thank you all for coming.


Blessing Abiri
Africa Regional Representative
Altus Global Alliance


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