Discipline is necessary in the military, and the soldier who rode without a helmet committed an offense. Nobody is disputing that.
However, discipline and abuse of power are not the same thing. If the offense carries a defined punishment, then apply that punishment and move on. Confiscating someone's bike for almost a year over a helmet violation sounds less like discipline and more like arbitrary punishment.
A professional institution is not measured by how harsh it can be, but by how consistently and fairly it applies its rules. The moment punishment depends on the mood, rank, or discretion of an individual, accountability starts to disappear.
The soldier was wrong for not wearing a helmet. The MP on duty was wrong for letting him pass. Both should face whatever punishment the regulations prescribe.
My issue is when punishment becomes open ended and dependent on who is in charge. If a bike can be impounded for a year over a helmet offense simply because a senior officer is angry, that's not discipline anymore, that's unchecked discretion.
Rules should govern people, not personalities.
Chai ๐ค,
You see the Lieutenant Colonel (Officer on the Left) doesn't forgive, once you enter his killing range just forget about it your own don finish.
Person wey one of my course mates enter him trap by not using Helmet ๐ช while going out of the Barracks gate, he noticed the soldier from his Mercedes Benz while he was also going out, he took his time drove slowly thinking those soldiers especially the MP personnel on duty will stop the soldier for not using Helmet but because of Padi Padi the Soldier on duty let go of my Course Mate not knowing trouble is coming to find him.
When the Lieutenant Colonel got to the gate and asked about the soldier that just passed and was nowhere to be found he immediately ordered the soldier to be locked until they found my coursemate that just left.
Unfortunately, my coursemate was traced and found 5 days after the incident. He was also locked for some hours and released later but his bike was confiscated for Months running to a year before the bike was released when he was leaving the unit.
MP ARE PROBLEM IDENTIFIER, RUN WHEN YOU SEE THEM AS A SOLDIER ๐ช๐ช.
What you think is right to you might be wrong in the Army Book which will be used to nail you.
#ThankASodier
#ForGodAndCountryAlways