24 police vehicles lost and found

It was a delight watching former British Prime Minister, David Cameron, exiting No 10 Downing Street with dignity and panache a fortnight ago, personally conveying his property into a waiting truck.
A video that went viral on the web captured him lifting with joy his home appliances preparatory to leaving office in a manner that tells much about the gulf between political appointees in Nigeria and those in the Western world.
On the day Cameron resigned and the first family quit finally from their official residence, their dressing was so casual one could mistake them for the family of a weather-beaten teacher in a state in Nigeria where salaries have not been paid for months.
Cameron’s wife, Samantha, and their children – Nancy, Elwin and Florence¬ – were so ordinary in their outfits when they appeared before other Britons who came to listen to him give a valedictory speech after serving his country meritoriously.
When Cameron finished with Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons, he shepherded his family with his two hands into a car he personally drove to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to the Queen.
The simplicity of the first family challenges consciences over the value we place on life, more so as Samantha was once crowned International Best Dressed by Vanity Fair and “praised for her conservative charm.”
And then you ask; do we really understand what life and living are all about? Are we actually not inflicting more physical and spiritual injury on ourselves thinking that life consists in material things, including acquisition of what we do not need?
If a onetime PM of Britain could lift his own household items, drive himself with his family after leaving office, and move into a house that belongs to his friend because tenants are currently occupying his, what else do we want to learn from Cameron and his family about simplicity?
TheWeek reported that “David and Samantha Cameron have moved into a luxury townhouse in West London with their three children, as the former prime minister and his family adjust to life outside of No 10.
“The £16.5 million Holland Park property, which has seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and three reception rooms, is owned by their friends, PR mogul Sir Alan Parker and his wife, Lady Jane Hermione, the London Evening Standard reports.
“It is unclear if it is a short-term stay for the Camerons while they continue to look for a place to rent in the capital, or if they will stay there longer-term.
“The family has their own home in Notting Hill, but it is believed to currently be occupied by tenants.”
Back in Nigeria, last week, I laughed out reading the alarm bell raised by acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, accusing his predecessor, Solomon Arase, of theft.
Theft because he said Arase went away with 24 police vehicles. The situation became more confounding when news filtered out days after that the cars had been “discovered”.
In the usual “police magic”, it was reported that the 24 missing cars were found in a workshop in Abuja where they had been taken for repairs.
Vanguard reported that the cars were sent to Auto Computers in the Jabi area of Abuja and that the spare BMW car has been repaired.
Idris had also accused the seven deputy inspectors general (DIGs) of police who retired with Arase of stealing between seven and eight cars each.
He told a press conference that he had written to Arase to return the cars, including two official bullet-proof BMW 7 series cars.
Said Idris: “If you look through the windows of my former office and from the report from my (Force) transport officer, you would see cars but a week to the day I would resume, all these cars disappeared.
“So, what I am telling you is that I have signed a directive to my SIP (I have a special investigation panel, I set it up). It is going to investigate all the vehicle purchases, contributions to the police and the distribution of those vehicles in the last three years; we are going to look into that.
“When I took over, there was no vehicle, even the vehicle I would use. I discovered the last IG went away with 24 vehicles; the DIGs, some of them eight, some of them seven.
“The IG’s vehicles included two BMW 7 series, one armoured; and he left me with an old car.
“The last time I followed the president with it, he was asking me, ‘what are you doing with this old car’ because if you see the headlight, the thing has changed colour….
“I wrote back to him [Arase] and said, we have a policy that says when a policeman retires, if you are an IG, AIG, a CP, you are entitled to some vehicles; please, the extra, return it.
“Four vehicles are enough for an average human being, but what will you even do with four vehicles; but he took 24 vehicles, including two BMW cars.
“I wrote to him (Arase), I wrote to the DIGs.”
But Arase retorted: “What am I going to do with 24 cars? Do I want to open a car shop? This is a malicious accusation. There are ways of verifying issues rather than engaging in media propaganda.”
Arase advised Idris to face national security problems rather than engage in media propaganda. To him, Idris may not have read his handover note, and there was no need going public since the man had assess to him.
Arase saw what happened as a slight on his person.
Reflect over how long it will take a Nigerian president or governor to hand over to his successor and move out of an official residence and you will appSreciate how beastly we lead our lives.
The president and governors (most of who equate themselves with God) see it as a taboo to lift their own luggage, no matter how light.
Our leaders cart away everything from where they lived in official capacity, such as cars, furniture, curtains, cooking utensils, beddings.
I am not holding brief for Arase or Idris. Neither is a saint.
Idri should know by now my thinking about his capacity. But that does not mean the right is not his to point out ills he finds plague an institution he superintends over.
If he had not raised the alarm the 24 vehicles would have been as good as gone, leaving the government to look for money to buy more vehicles for the police. That is what normally happens with those we call leaders in the police and elsewhere.
It is just that Arase was not as lucky, or probably did not apply himself well to his “parting gift” like those who came before him did.
In Nigeria, nobody measures a parting gift. Anything can be carted away. Are we then surprised how billions of naira and hundreds of vehicles are discovered in the residence of retiring government officials? Some even got estates simply because they were retiring.
It is high time we asked questions about all the vehicles the federal and state governments give to the police year in and out. You hardly find working vehicles in police Divisions and Area Commands.
The scandalous alarm Idris raised should lead to a comprehensive audit of vehicles the police have received over a period of time. We must continue to hold our leaders accountable for public property.
So much is given away as a parting gift to sustain the unquenchable material appetite of our callous leaders.
The 24 missing and found cars is simply a deal gone sour and we should guard against future occurrences in our institutions.