Leadership (Abuja)
29 December 2008
The traditional role of the security services, no matter where they may be found, is to protect life and property and to provide safety and security without prejudice and within the rule of law.
In modern times, security has become more dynamic and more inclusive, anchored on strong partnership for efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy".Morie Lenghor, a Sierra Leonean, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police in the Sierra Leonean Police Force, is the owner of the words above. He made the declaration on Saturday December 13, 2007. Venue? Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Topo, Badagry, Lagos state. Occasion? The three-day thematic workshop organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).Morie Lenghor, in his position as Police Commissioner of the Ecowas Standby Force In The Department Of Peace Keeping And Regional Security, was there to present a paper. His topic was: "Media Sensitisation: The Role of the Security Services in Enhancing Free Movement of People, Goods and Services in the ECOWAS Sub-Region".
"In the policing world, for instance, the concept of Community or Local Needs is gaining currency and acceptability to bring policing closer to the people that they serve. Other security services are equally transforming in this direction. Even the military is now strongly promoting civil military relations among its ranks", said the ECOWAS Police Commissioner.He added: "As security service personnel, we are held in double trust: as individual citizens of ECOWAS and as members of our institutions with roles, responsibilities, duties and obligations"But how does he discharge his duties so as to satisfy the fifteen countries which constitute ECOWAS? What have been his challenges?"In July 2007, the Department of Peacekeeping held a workshop for police and gendarmerie liaison officers and it became apparent that most security services did not know much about ECOWAS, nor its aims, principles or objectives."It was subsequently recommended that a training manual to spread and deepen the knowledge of ECOWAS among the security services to be included in their training curriculum should be developed."This recommendation is being actively considered but, nonetheless, it is obligatory for our senior management to make some effort to instruct their personnel on the ECOWAS statutes that relate to them in dealing with individual and corporate ECOWAS citizens", Mr. Lenghor disclosed. He continued, by way of clarification "Speaking of ECOWAS statutes, we should rightly begin with the Revised Treaty of 1999 which gives the global objective of this evolving supra-state institution as envisaged by our founding fathers".
First appointed Commissioner of the ECOWAS Standby Force in the Department of Peacekeeping and Regional Security on April 1, 2007, AIG Morie Lenghor revealed one of his many initial challenges. That challenge was getting ECOWAS countries' police chiefs to work in accordance with ECOWAS' processes and procedures. He disclosed this later in his hotel after he presented his paper the previous day.The second was getting the police and the gendarmerie to work together. These, he said, are the two security outfits in ECOWAS countries. Now they are doing just that, working together. He has liaison officers. But that is not all. He says that he has met most heads of police and gendarmerie in West Africa and has had cause to meet and work with them to check trans-border crimes amongst which the commonest is trafficking and smuggling light weapons though there is something unique to each member state.On which country's citizens are more into crimes he refused to name any one country but said that each country had its own share of criminal elements. He said criminologists have declared that only about 22-28% of citizens commit crimes.
How large is ECOWAS Police?"We work at strategic level; the number is not really important. But we have thousands and thousands of men", he replied. When an ECOWAS citizen breaches ECOWAS law, who arrests such an offender - ECOWAS' Standby Force or the police of the suspects' country? "ECOWAS nations are independent nations. Their first duty is to ensure internal security. Now, we have ECOWAS Court of Justice for those who violate its protocol. ECOWAS rules and protocols are not for crimes, per se, but should anyone violate the laws, there are procedures for dealing with them".But, as an AIG in Sierra Leone, and now as Commissioner of ECOWAS Police, is this not a downgrading?, he was asked."Not really"! That was the advertised position. But I am proposing that the designation be changed", he answered.MORIE LENGHOR Was born in Sierra Leone on May 27, 1958. He enlisted in the Sierra Leonean Police Force on August 24, 1980. He passed out as the Best Recruit and was posted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in February 1981.Lenghor has a degree in English and Literature and in law, making him a lawyer. He had graduated from the Fourah Bay College, that is, University of Sierra Leone in 1978. It was here that he obtained his BA in English and Literature.
He attended the Anti-Narcotic Seminar for African Officers in Cairo, Egypt in February 1988 and was promoted Assistant Superintendent (ASP) and appointed Head of Homicide Squad at the CID in 1987. Lenghor completed the United States Customs Overseas Enforcement Training Programme in Accra, Ghana, in March 1990 and was appointed Head of the Anti-Smuggling Squad of the CID in August 1990.In May 1991, he was appointed Head of International Airport Division CID. In June 1993, he attended the Aviation Security Course for Overseas Officers in the UK and in 1994 completed an Overseas CID Officers course in Wakefield, UK, West Yorkshire. That was in April. The course featured lectures in Criminal Investigation, Investigation Interviewing and Fraud Investigation.Morie Lenghor was appointed Senior Immigration Officer in 1994 and Head of Investigation, CID Headquarters in March 1997. In August 2001, he attended the International Commander's Course in Bramshill, United Kingdom. He was awarded a post-graduate certificate in Criminal Justice in Police Management by the University of Leicester in the UK in September 2001.
He graduated from the University of Sierra Leone (Fourah Bay College with LL.B Hons in December 2001. He graduated from the Sierra Leone Law School with Barrister of Laws in October, 2002 and was called to the Utter Bar of Sierra Leone in October 11, 2002. He was appointed Assistant Commissioner of police in August, 2002.Morie Lenghor participated in the XXIV international course of Higher Specialisation for Police Services in Policing, Ethics and Corruption in the Belgium Parliament in Brussels from September 29-October 4, 2002. He worked for the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone as Senior Investigator from November 1, 2002 to June 2003 and was appointed Assistant Inspector- General in November 2004. The AIG attended the Strategic Leadership Programme in Bramshill, United Kingdom from April 4 to July 22, 2005, and then the Strategic Public Order Trainers Course from November 13 - November 24, 2006. This one was organised by the UK Metropolitan Police Public Order Strategic Commanding Training Unit.On April 1, 2007, Morie Lenghor, was appointed on secondment, Police Commissioner for the ECOWAS Standby Force, his current posting.
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