Mass Retirement Looms in Police

Posted by admin Headlines, Nigerian Police Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

THERE is an uneasy calm in the Nigeria Police as a result of speculations of a mass retirement, following the recent promotion of some officers above their senior colleagues.

Sources revealed to Saturday Tribune that some Commissioners of Police were promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) over Senior Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs).

It was gathered that out of the 16 AIGs currently serving two were considered for the promotion, while the remaining five new DIGs were formerly Commissioners of Police. 13 CPs were also promoted as AIGs.

The Police Service Commission (PSC), at its 26th plenary meeting on Wednesday, approved the appointment of the seven DIGs and 13 new AIGs.

The only officer to have enjoyed a promotion of this kind (from CP to DIG), it was learnt, was former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, whose appointment was believed to satisfy the South-South quota. Since then, no such promotion had been made in the force until now.

Saturday Tribune gathered that some AIGs and CPs who were left out have queried the criteria used by the PSC in carrying out the promotion.

According to a source, developments such as this only breeds indiscipline, as “you cannot expect a senior officer whose junior colleague was promoted above him to salute him (the promoted junior colleague).”

The source maintained that unless something was urgently done to correct what he called the anomaly, the enthusiasm of hardworking officers might be dampened.

Meanwhile, the PSC has approved the promotion of a police pilot from the rank of Commissioner of Police to Assistant Inspector General of Police.

The pilot, AIG Samuel Ilesanmi Aguda, who hails from Ekiti State, is said to be an expert in flying aircraft and has assisted the police in training many young pilots.

The commission also approved the promotion of one Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), four Superintendents of Police and five Deputy Superintendent of Police.

-Tribunewp_posts