By Brave Dickson
The Port Harcourt Area Command of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Rivers State has organized a summit aimed at securing society from the family.
Speaking on the: “Role of Community Leaders in Ensuring a Peaceful Society,” an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Ewah Bassey defined community leader as a person who plays leadership roles in community.
ACP Bassey said, “one salient problem in the community over the years in our society has been that many self appointed or chosen leaders are clueless and often selfish regarding the task or role that is placed on their office to discharge. Leadership in clear terms is service. This implies that a leader must be willing and able to serve, not just to bear the title. A leader is a servant not lord.
“Unfortunately, several leaders today rather than serving their people dedicatedly, they tend to lord themselves over their people. While some leaders serve a selected interest group or powers outside their subjects. Leadership requires us to act fairly at all time for the greater good of those we lead.”
Dwelling on types of leadership within community, the police chief said, “different segments exist that make up a community and each of these has head. The family is the prime factor and if the family is in shambles, the larger society is disorganized. It is therefore important for a leader to be determined in providing purposeful leadership.
“Some community leaders include: Family leaders, compound leaders, religious leaders, youth leaders, women leaders, opinion leaders etc and all of them are subject to the apex leader of that community, whose duty is to harmonize and accommodate these various leaders towards a peaceful society.
On the other hand, there can also be bad leaders in the society whose duty is to negatively impact and rob the society of peace. They include cult leaders, gang leaders, drug dealers and kidnappers among others.”
While speaking on,: “Helping The Police To Help You,” the Chairman, PCRC in Rivers State, Chief Casca Ogosu urged every citizen to assist the police in combating crime through information gathering on criminals and criminal activities.
Chief Ogosu said, ” as responsible and caring citizens, we must assist the police to solve most of their teething challenges so as to enable them work better. The Nigeria police of today has an array of professionals in all fields of human endeavour, therefore they should display discipline in the discharge of their duties to members of the public. We, as members of PCRC are proud to be associated with the police and call on members of the public to see the police as friends not enemies.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman PCRC Port Harcourt Area Command, Sir Eben Ogan described family as the bedrock of human existence, adding that no society can be healthy if the family is sick.
Sir Ogan said, “when the family is sound and the leaders play their roles accordingly, peace and prosperity will be visible in the society. The police we know today are under pressure to combat, eradicate or reduce crime. This puts the police under aggression, more because of the bogus expectation of the populace including lean logistics.
“But when society is sound and peaceful, the Nigeria police will undoubtedly imbibe moral values as well as develop inner serenity which in turn will rub off on their relationship with the public. Obviously, this will promote synergy and a better understanding of each other, thereby achieving the ultimate goal of a peaceful society for everyone to sleep with both eyes closed.”
Highlight of the security summit was the presentation of icon awards to over 12 recipients among whom were top police officers, clerics and traditional rulers.
