Security Information Needs and Sources of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Ekiti State Command.

Transcription

1 Security Information Needs and Sources of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Ekiti State Command. Folorunso Olayinka University Library University of Ado-Ekiti P.m.b. 5363, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Abstract The paper examines the security information needs and sources of the Nigeria Police Force [NPF], Ekiti State Command and the information utilization of the men and officers of the Command. The relevance of such information to the studied group is highlighted. The instruments used to elicit information from respondents include questionnaires and personal interviews. The collected data was analyzed by means of tables and simple percentages. Findings showed that the respondents greatly value security information and that they are aware that information is a major key to do and to excel in their job. Analysis also revealed that the available sources of information are inadequate and therefore do not meet their needs. It was also revealed that the respondents desire much security information from members of the public but the latter are afraid to provide the information. Recommendations were offered based on the findings. Introduction Afolabi (2003) argued that information is, indispensably, an ingredient for social, economic, industrial, political and technological advancement as it is apparent in every facet of human endeavours that no meaningful and enduring development can be achieved without it. Citing Curras (1987), Faibisoff and Ely (1986) and Uwem (1990), Afolabi (2003) maintained that information is a stimulus and responding to it prompts us to act the ways we do. It was further stressed that information is not only an instrument for change, growth and development but also data meant for answering or meeting users queries and needs. Igbeka and Atinmo (2002) were of the opinion that information is an important tool and a valuable resource required for the realization of any objective or goal set by individuals. Therefore, acquiring and utilizing information are critical and important activities and a sine qua non to perform and to excel in one s responsibilities. According to Folorunso (2004), information is all published and unpublished knowledge from a source to meet human needs for decision making and for meaningful existence, while information needs are the desire or want of information to be transferred for use and these needs greatly influence the type of information that information seekers and users look for. Igbeka and Atinmo (2002) while listing the factors that initiate the search for information mentioned the individual s task or place of work as important factors. Enidiok and Bassey (2004) citing previous authors like Wakeham (1992), Edem (1993), Wilson (1994) and Lin and Garvey (1992) established that the information needs of persons

2 74 or professionals vary with the professions or work role of the users. In other words, as medical experts and other health providers cherish and seek for medical information so also a legal practitioner will go for legal information while security personnels including members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) will seek for security information. Therefore, findings of this study should hopefully enable information professionals including librarians, policy makers and other concerned groups know the security information needs and sources and fill the gap that may be existing between the two for better job performance among this group of information users, that is members of the NPF. For the purpose of this study, security information is any kind of printed and unprinted knowledge that has strategic value and capable of maintaining a social, civil and stable society. Activities and Roles of the NPF An examination of the origins, development and role of the British-inspired police force in Nigeria reveals that they were shaped to safeguard European interests in the country and to caution any negative reactions of the indigenous people to their (Europeans) activities. Commerce was one of such long-standing European interests. Before the Imperial Acts of 1807 and 1833 which outlawed the slave trade and slavery, it was not in the interest of Britain to establish a formal police force in the country because before then, British and other European traders had relied on the protection provided by the West African traditional chiefs who controlled the various pre-colonial law enforcement agencies. In essence, in West African sub-region, the quests of Britain to stop the illegal slave trade at sea and encourage legitimate commerce and Christian missionary enterprise led to their involvement in police activities. A survey of the development and role of modern police force in Nigeria during the nineteenth century reveals that the forces were established to sufficiently prevent, detect, control and prosecute crime by land and sea, in the towns, villages and along the government railway. In the social and economic aspects, the NPF has been providing valuable opportunities for employment, education and welfare to a sizeable number of citizenry with the requisite qualifications and drive. Members of the NPF are encouraged to specialize in such areas as CID work, drill, dog handling and fingerprints. The importance of police institutions cannot be over-emphasised as any government heavily rely on their police establishment in the preservation of lives and property of her citizenry. The works of the legislative, executive and judicial aspects of government would be very difficult without an efficient and effective police institution or other suitable arrangement. By acting in agreement with the judiciary the police constitute the first line of defence against any threats to the internal security of the state or community. It should be mentioned that the NPF has established for itself and the country an international reputation of high standard during its part-time and full-time services in crime control, war and peace. Therefore, the roles, activities and impacts of the NPF go beyond national or domestic shore. (Tamuno, 1970). Objectives 1. To find out the security information needs of members of the NPF, Ekiti State Command. 2. To find out the sources of their security information.

3 75 3. To balance any imbalance that may be existing between the security information needs and sources of the respondents. Hypotheses 1. That members of the NPF Ekiti State Command are aware that security information is essentially required to do and to excel in their works. 2. That the security information sources available do not meet the needs of the respondents. Methodology The targets were men and officers of the NPF, Ekiti State Command. Altogether, 320 questionnaires were distributed among randomly selected respondents. 310 questionnaires were returned and found useable representing an overall response rate of 96.86%. There were also personal interactions with members of the public and with the men and officers of the Command on the other hand. Analysis was done by simple percentages and inferences were drawn from the interpretation of results. Data Analysis And Presentation Sex No Percentage (%) Male Female Total Table I: Respondents Distribution Based on Sex Table I shows that 210 (67.74%) of the respondents were male while 100 representing 32.26% were female. This confirms a patient observation result that there are far more male than female in the NPF and this is the situation at the Ekiti State Command. Sources Number Percentage (%) Friends Mass Media NPF Headquarters PPRC Others Total KEY: PPRC Police Public Relation Committee. Table II: Respondents Sources of Security Information Table II shows the sources of the security information of respondents. The table shows that 65 (20.97%) of the respondents indicated Friends as their sources of security information, while 88 (28.39%) indicated Mass Media as their sources. The NPF Headquarters was indicated by 95 (30.65%) and 40 respondents indicated PPRC. 22 respondents representing 7.10% indicated some other sources. The PPRC, which ought to be a major link and information channel between the public and the NPF, was indicated by

4 76 just per cent of the respondents. The responses connote that the respondents rely more on Friends, Mass Media and NPF Headquarters for their security information. Personal interaction with men and officers of the Command and with members of the public also showed that many members of the public who would have volunteered useful security information on crimes and crime-related issues to the NPF are not willing to do so out of fear of being implicated or indicted and also because of the kind of bad images some members of the public have already carved for the men and officers of NPF. Rating Number Percentage (%) Very highly Highly Low Very low Don t know Total Table III: Rating of Satisfaction of Security Information Needs of the Respondents Table III shows the rating of satisfaction of security information needs of the respondents. The table shows that 156 or 50.32% of the respondents rate satisfaction low; 55 or 17.74%, very low and 32 or 10.32% as highly and 19 or 6.13% of the respondents rated satisfaction as very highly. One discovers that the largest percentage is on the lower side. S/N Pattern of Information No Percentage 1. Information about ethnics and places Information about prosecution and criminal procedures Information about juvenile delinquencies Information about cultism Information about labour and trade unions activities Information about Law and other legal issues Information about government activities Information about traffic control and road safety Information about ethics and norms Information about motor fitness and particulars TOTAL Table IV Pattern and Nature of Security Information Used by Men and Officers of the NPF Table IV shows the pattern and nature of security information sought for and used by men and officers of the Command. Information about prosecution and criminal procedures ranked highest, followed by information about Law and other legal issues and then followed by information about juvenile delinquencies with 18.71, and percentages respectively. On the other hand, information about ethics and places ranked lowest, followed by information about traffic control and road safety with 3.23 and 3.87

5 77 percentages respectively. In particular, the low ranking of information about traffic control and road safety may not be unconnected with the fact that there is a Federal Government outfit especially saddled with the responsibility of maintaining peace on highways which is the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). Valuables of Information No Enhances job performance of the NPF 255 Ensures good relationship between the police and the public 248 Curbs criminal activities 250 Ensures a virile police force 256 Strategically needed for national development and for political stability 280 Table V Distribution of Responses to the Statements on the Value of Security Information Table V shows the values that respondents attached to security information. Here, a respondent is allowed to freely tick more than one option. The table, in a nutshell, generally indicates that the respondents greatly value security information and that they believe that it is a major criterion to perform and to excel in their works. Conclusion and Suggestions Analyses showed that security information is a sine qua non to enhancing the job performance of members of the NPF. The recommendations given below are channeled towards filling the gaps that exist between the security information needs and sources of the respondents so as to improve the job performance of members of the NPF by creating an enabling environment that can guarantee the provision of security information and providing other incentives that can motivate the respondents to position themselves in the right channels of receiving correct security information. Findings revealed that members of the public who suppose to be a major source of security information of the NPF are afraid of being indicted in any volunteered security information because of the kind of little trust the former have in the latter. Consequently, the NPF should embark on a campaign aiming at redeeming any battered images and then try to boost the good ones. Having confidence in members of the NPF will lead to willingness to divulge the necessary security information to them. Findings showed that the men and officers of the NPF are poorly remunerated and other conditions of service on ground are far below what we have in other para-military services in Nigeria and in other developing African countries. The poor remuneration and conditions of service alone may not be placing the respondents in the right positions to receive correct security information. Better conditions of service which can be in forms of increment in salary and allowances, continuous on-the-job-training and prompt promotion as and when due will help to motivate and re-position the men and officers in the right channel of receiving security information. During recruitment exercise and while formulating policy for it, it is suggested that willing and able information professional including librarians are encouraged and considered by injecting quite a good number of them into the force. This step will increase sensitivity to the flow of useful security information within the police formations and from members of the public to members of the NPF. It is believed that information professionals will tend to appreciate information and how it flows more than non-professionals.

6 78 Findings also revealed that men and officers of the NPF are not well equipped in terms of availability of sophisticated and crime-combating weapons to them. Therefore, men and officers of the NPF should be provided with enough sophisticated weapons that can match the ones carried by hoodlums. This will help to enhance the job performances and reposition the NPF for security information. Also, as part of the efforts to reposition the NPF for better job performance, it is suggested that the NPF as a system should be overhauled by ejecting the bad eggs including those with serious disciplinary cases and scandals. Results analysis revealed that the Police-Public Relation Committee (PPRC), which ought to be a major source of security information to the NPF, is not serving its purpose well as expected. Only 12.90% of the respondents indicated the PPRC as the sources of their information. The PPRC members should not rest on their oasis. They should put in more efforts in bridging the gap between the public and the police by allaying the fears of the public in their attempt to divulge or report useful security information to the NPF. Finally, it is suggested that each of divisional headquarters of the NPF should have a stand-by, well-publicised and accessible phone-lines, box address and fax number for some members of the public that may wish to send any security information under anonymous covers. It is believed that if the above recommendations are considered and well articulated the existed wide gap between the security information needs and sources of the respondents will be closely brought together which will in turn lead to improvement in the job performance of men and officers of the NPF. References Afolabi, A.K. (2003): Information Needs, Information Seeking Behaviour of Commercial Vehicle Drivers in Ondo State. Gateway Library Journal. 6 (2) 1-2. Enidiok, O. E. and Bassey, B. A. (2004): Information Type and Search Strategies adopted by Social Scientists for Teaching and Research. Gateway Library Journal 7(2) 12. Folorunso, O. (2004): HIV/AIDS Information Needs and Sources: A study of Secondary School Students in Osun-State. Gateway Library Journal. 7(2) 43 Igbeka, J. U. and Atinmo, M. I. (2002): Information Seeking Behaviour and Information Utilization of Agricultural Engineers in Nigeria Based on Their Different Places of Work. Nigerian Libraries. 36(1) 9. Tamuno, T. N. (1970): The Police in Modern Nigeria, : Origins, Development and Role. Ibadan: Ibadan University Press. 1, 37, 169, 271, 281pgs.