What is the policeman selling?

"Leave am, leave am, him don pay, leave am!" That was a policeman telling his colleague to leave an 'okada' operator alone.

I wondered aloud to my friend seated in the passenger's seat, "What is the policeman selling?" To which my friend laughed until he almost fell off the vehicle. But it was a rhetorical question because I was aware of what was actually happening. It was at a makeshift road block mounted by two fully armed policemen in uniform. From the way they were transacting their business with the 'okada' men it was obvious that these men in uniform were completely oblivious of their surroundings and  on-lookers, which sometimes might include their bosses who prefer to turn a blind eye to the shameful act of policemen extorting bribes from hapless 'okada' men. But why was a police man telling another to leave the bike rider alone because "him don pay?" I have been reliably informed that policemen have in the manner of mafia operation, carved out certain territories to themselves and have made themselves familiar with commercial motor drivers plying their 'captured' routes. These drivers are given tally numbers in some cases or given a particular coded number which serves as a password whenever they arrive the road block. We understand the policemen make a killing at the end of every day. This money (I hear again) is shared between themselves and their bosses who never fail to pat them on their backs for a good job well done!

So effectively, the police at most check points sell free and unhindered passage to commercial drivers and motor cyclists. But why are these motorists paying up? It is because they (drivers and cyclists) are guilty of lack of common sense. It is a huge penny-wise, pound-foolish situation. These are people who prefer to 'settle' policemen every day instead of putting their papers in order. What does it cost to take out a third party insurance? How much does a vehicle licence cost? How about the almighty Hackney permit? And for the cyclist, how much does a learners' permit cost? Instead of getting these papers and be free from the oppressive blackmail of unscrupulous policemen, these people prefer to pay their way through the myriads of police check points and road blocks. As for the police, the plum at the check points and road blocks has diverted their attention from their constitutional responsibilities which is a shame. There is an unprecedented rise in crime even with police checkpoints a few metres away.

Someone told me this rather funny story of a policeman who after witnessing a gruesome robbery operation on the road, took off his uniform and ran away into the bush, saying to the hearing of all that he did not want to die young and leave his family without a bread (read bribe) winner and that somebody should call (wait for this) the police to chase the robbers! He will yet emerge from the bush to mount a road block to continue extorting money from hapless road users.