By Zayd Ibn Isah
The question of who would be the next Inspector-General of Police was laid to rest after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, relieved the erstwhile Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba (rtd) of his job. The former IGP was not the only victim of Mr. President’s sledgehammer, as even the service Chiefs and the Custom Boss, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) were not spared.
And just when we thought Mr. President was done for the day, yet another breaking news came that he had approved the dissolution of Boards of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions and Government-owned Companies. However, this dissolution did not affect Boards, Commissions and Councils listed in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as contained in the press statement by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The President came to office with the mantra of hitting the ground running, and he is doing just exactly that. Nigerians wake almost every day to breaking news. The running joke on social media presently is that heads of government agencies close from work these days with no hope of returning to the office the next day. This is because they may wake up to news of their suspension or sack from office. And that would be a much better fate than that of those who have been picked up or asked to report to the Department of State Services on various allegations. Such is the atmospheric effect of hitting the proverbial ground running that virtually everyone is on tenterhooks.
Surprisingly, none of these exciting changes has been met with uproar yet. Even those that were not happy with his emergence as President and Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are already commending Tinubu for his bold steps towards righting the wrongs of previous administrations. This perfectly illustrates that underneath our deepest divisions as a nation, what matters most to the people is good leadership and stable governance, rather than superficial preoccupations with age, ethnicity, religion and educational background.
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With that being said, it is important to note how whenever a civilized society establishes a government and accords it legal authority, the foremost expectation is usually that the individuals appointed to lead would possess enough power to safeguard others. This is because the primary duty of every government is to guarantee security of lives and property of its citizens, as contained in Chapter Two, Section 14 (2) of the I999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As such, there is no denying the fact that the President is definitely aware of this primary duty and the responsibilities it consequently entails. And that may very well be why President Tinubu is poised to rejig the security architecture of the country by bringing on board capable hands and minds to put paid to the mindless killings and atrocities committed by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, unknown gunmen and other criminal menaces within Nigeria.
In that vein, the appointment of Kayode Egbetokun as the Inspector-General of Police should be seen as an integral part of the President’s efforts to ensure that the safety of lives and property is guaranteed. Born on 4th September, 1964, the new IGP has had an impressive career in the Nigeria Police Force, serving in different capacities including Operations, Investigation, Administration and Intelligence. IGP Kayode Egbetokun’s appointment as the 22nd Inspector-General of Police should not come to us as a surprise. After all, Mr. President has mastered the art of putting round pegs in round holes, which perfectly manifests in his decision to place Dr. Kayode Egbetokun at the head of the country’s Police Force. And it seems that as much as the IGP is aware of the enormous task ahead of him, he remains resolutely determined to fight crimes and criminality to a standstill. In his first interview with journalists at the State House, the new IGP assured citizens of his readiness to give criminals threatening the peace and stability of the country a run for their money. According to him, “I feel like a tiger inside of me is ready to chase away all the criminals in Nigeria. And some other time, I feel like a lion in me is ready to devour all the internal enemies of Nigeria. That’s my feeling right now.”
While Nigerians are eagerly waiting for him to translate his words into action, it’s imperative to remind everyone that the IGP cannot succeed in his quest without the support of well-meaning citizens. The job of policing a multi-ethnic and culturally diverse country like Nigeria is not and has never been a jolly walk to the park. This fact is accentuated by the low manpower and lack of resources which has continuously undermined the efficiency of our Police Force. Hence, there is a need for well-meaning Nigerians to rally round the new IGP as he begins the herculean task of steering the country’s foremost internal security agency through stormy currents and towards fairer shores. And while that is going on, the hope of a Police Force that is professional, disciplined and proactive is the last thing we should ever think of losing. As Ngugi Wa Thiong’o said in Weep Not Child, “Hope of a better day is the only comfort I can give to a weeping child.”
And just like that icon of literature, I am saying, “Weep not, Nigerians. There is a new sheriff in town, and the hope of a crime-free country is the last thing we should lose. Surely, there will be light at the end of the tunnel. All we have to do is unite, believe and persist.”
Isah is the Media Aide to the Chairman, Police Service Commission. He can be reached via [email protected]
