By HERCULES OWEN –
“And it was a few days to the exit of the then Inspector-General of Police, who was going into retirement.” Femi Adesina
Dear Mr. President,
It is another exit. My brother, Femi seems to know what a lot of us do not know. I will take the liberty to share his submission in this regard. This, hopefully will galvanize popular participation in the process that will bring about the Police of your dream, Sir.
Your Excellency, is “the dream” still alive? Mr. Adesina says, he knows your “dreams”.
Sir, we crave your indulgence as we know that you are one of the busiest Presidents in the world. Who wouldn’t be, as the President of Nigeria.
Dear Nigerians, please, let us read carefully and with open minds so we will be able to comprehend and work with our President to “translate the dream into reality”.
Below is an excerpt from Mr Femi Adesina:
“Talking of reform of the police, I know the mind of the President on that issue. Sometime in the early days of the first term of the administration, I had dropped into the house one night, as I do once in a while. And it was a few days to the exit of the then Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who was going into retirement.
The President told me how much he had been impressed with Arase, and how he regretted that the man spent just about a year with him. He then told me of the police of his dreams, and how he wished he got someone who would translate the dream into reality. So, when the President said in a speech to the protesters last week that comprehensive police reform was coming, I knew what he had in mind. If only we would be patient and let him implement the five points demand of the protesters”
Memory can sometimes play a fast one on anyone and in Nigeria, like some other places, we tend to forget a lot particularly when under pressure. We will jettison noble ideas for ignoble and selfish ones, excellence for mediocrity because of “all sorts of tendencies” and primordial sentiments.
I thank Mr. Femi Adesina for bringing this to the fore and would also like to highlight some helpful points in his submission especially as it concerns the Nigeria Police Reform.
They are as follows:
1) In a period of one year the former IGP had impressed you Mr. President and the general feeling was that this man did very well within such a short period and you “regretted that the man spent just about a year” working with you. This was because he did not have more years in service. He was retiring after 35 years of service. As impressed as you were, Sir, you did not extend his service beyond the Statutory provision- 35 years of service or 60 years of age.
2) Mr President has a clear picture of the “Police of his dreams” and really wants someone who will bring this “dream” into the realm of reality.
Sir, thank you so much for signing the new Police Act which has taken care of your desire by making it possible for you to appoint a person into the Office of an IGP who can concretize laudable programs geared towards “the dream” Police. In its provision, the IGP “shall serve four (4) years in line with Section 7(6) subject to Clause 18(8)”. The Act became effective from the day you signed it into law, Sir. Any circumvention in whatever guise will set the wrong precedence and derail “the dream”, Mr President. Four (4) years should be enough for a good IGP who has at least that number of years in service from the day of Appointment into Office to pursue this “dream”; leading the Officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force towards its realization, Sir.
Thus far your Excellency, you have worked with three (3) IGPs in five (5) years. How many more will you want to work with, Sir? Will you work with one that will work with you to translate your “dreams” into reality without an extension of service and also help your successor to hit the ground running in terms of effective and efficient policing or an IGP who does not have four (4) years and will require service extension as his statutory retirement date approaches, Sir?
Mr. President, I am sure you would rather have one IGP who will work with you and deliver in full compliance with the new Police Act, instead of two (2) IGPs for the three (3) years left of your tenure.
Mr. President, may the interest and greater good of Nigeria guide and rule your decision in this regard, Sir.
Your Excellency, in line with the Civil Service Rules shouldn’t IGP Mohammed Adamu proceed on terminal leave by 1st of November, 2020? Is he hoping for service extension so will want to wait till the 31st of January, 2021? Sir, as impressed as you were with IGP Solomon Arase (Rtd), you only wished he had more time but did not extend his service because of your integrity and desire to follow the rule of law.
The second point, Mr. President, is “translating your dream to reality”. Sir, if IGPs Solomon Arase and Ibrahim K. Idris retired statutorily without extension in line with the Civil Service Rules. Why will the current IGP Mohammed Adamu not honorably proceed on terminal leave to enable Nigerians and the entire world to put behind the recent sad events in Nigeria? Every day he stays longer reminds us of the avoidable tragedy which he could have nipped in its bud before it was fully blown, Sir.
Your Excellency, just like you, we all need this dream to be translated into reality. This is why it will be good to appoint an Officer who will serve and bring it to fulfillment.
I believe Sir, we have come to the end of this search. Kindly appoint a new IGP to put this inglorious events behind us under the newly signed Police Act, in the spirit of fairness, justice and equity for peace and unity.
Your Excellency, I humbly appeal, that you let the Nigeria Police Reform begin from top to bottom and be visible to all, including the “doubting Thomases”.
May God help and bless Nigeria!
Thank you for your time, Sir.
Accept my esteemed regards.
Respectfully Yours,
Owen Hercules,PhD. Econometrics; PhD. Social Psychology. A Social-Economic Development Practitioner.
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