President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to name a new Inspector-General of Police as the incumbent police chief, Mohammed Adamu, is due to take a bow out of service on Monday, multiple sources told Daily Trust on Sunday.
As the president’s action is being awaited, prominent socio-cultural groups and civil society organisations have called on the president to do the right thing and stick to the rule of law in taking his decision.
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While the IGP’s days in the police are officially up, on account of attaining 35 years in service, the president has the prerogative to extend his stay.
But informed sources told our reporters last night that the president is unlikely to give Adamu the fiat to stay beyond his statutory service age.
A top source at the Presidency told Daily Trust that Adamu is expected to hand over to the most senior police officer, in the event no announcement was made before the end of Monday.
“This is a post that has limit. If a position like that is given to you, the expectation is one leaves at the due date except if there is an instruction to the contrary. Right now there is no such communication,” he said.
Multiple sources told one of our reporters that Adamu’s fate was sealed on Wednesday after the president was briefed on the vacancy in the police top post by Minister of Police Affairs Maigari Dingyadi, at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Shortlist of DIGs, AIGs
Daily Trust authoritatively gathered that the minister presented a shortlist of Deputy Inspector-Generals (DGIs) and Assistant Inspector-Generals (AIGs) to the president for his consideration.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Police Affairs, Ehisienmen Osaigvo, did not respond to a request for comments on this story last night. Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, declined comment when contacted by our reporter.
But a credible security source told Daily Trust that the presidency had directed the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Department of States Security (DSS) to prepare confidential briefings on seven senior police officers on the rank of DIG and AIG.
Daily Trust gathered that course mates of IGP Adamu, serving in various positions in the Police Force, had reportedly vacated their offices as of Sunday night.
Sources in Abuja and other places said the IGP’s mates, including a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), DIG Ibrahim Lamorde, DIG Michael Anthony Ogbizi, and AIG Mohammad Mustafa, have emptied their offices in preparation for quitting the Force on Monday.
Despite these developments, Adamu is said to be still staying foot in his post with some of his promoters calling for a six month extension for him.
Checks Sunday night indicated that Adamu was still occupying the IGP’s official residence in Maitama, Abuja, while he was yet to vacate his office.
A source at the Ministry of Police Affairs told one of our reporters that the presidency would announce a new acting inspector general of police on Monday.
“Everything is concluded, you should just wait for the appointment from the Villa,” the source who asked not to be named for fear of sanctions told Daily Trust.
‘Let Adamu go’
Pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, said the president should allow the Inspector General of Police to go upon his retirement on Monday.
Spokesman of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, in a chat with Daily Trust said there were other senior police officers who coud do the job of policing the country better.
He said, “If his tenure has expired, he should go tomorrow (today). The government will continue to give itself a bad name with this kind of things. The President should let him go and appoint another person.
“It doesn’t make any sense to extend it. If the tenure has expired, let him go.”
Odumakin said the IGP has done his bit but his bit was not enough as insecurity persists all over the country.
“He has tried his bit but the bit has not been enough and we need to inject fresh blood into the system.
“In appointing a replacement, the President should look for a man who can police Nigeria effectively, who has the elasticity of mind, who can create an inclusive arrangement and who can modernise the police in a way to give us a modern police architecture,” he said.
‘Abide by the law’
On its part, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) advised President Muhammadu Buhari to follow the stipulations of the Police Act which pegs the retirement age for police officers at 60 years of age or 35 years of service.
The ACF National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe in a phone interview with Daily Trust said the Forum stands with the stipulations of the law adding that the President should not wait for pressure before he does the right thing.
“If the IG’s time is up then he should go. If the law provides that he should go, then he should go, there is no two ways about it. We should go by what the law says so it doesn’t generate controversy,” Yawe said.
“There are so many other people whose tenures have expired and they are refusing to go and so when people complain, they say what about the others, it shouldn’t be so,” he further said.
On the agitation of the South East to gain the IG’s slot, the ACF said it has not problem with that as every region in Nigerian has a right to agitate for what it deserves.
“They have a right to complain and if they deserve a slot they should be given, we are all part of Nigeria. This country belongs to all of us. There is nothing bad about their agitation, we in the north also agitate for what belongs to us,” he said.
Ohanaeze keeps mum
When contacted on phone, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo World-Wide, Prof. George Obiozor said he would not want to make public press comment on any issue in the country for now.
“Whenever I decide to comment on any national issue in the country, I would let the press know,” he said.
By Muideen Olaniyi, Abbas Jimoh,Idowu Isamatu, Abdullateef Aliyu (Lagos), Lami Sadiq (Kaduna), Tony Adibe
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