Avoiding the Banana Peels – By Arnold A. Alalibo

Posted by admin Arnold Alalibo, Articles, Columnists, Goodluck Jonathan (2010-present), Nigerian Police, NNP Columnists, Presidency Wednesday, May 27th, 2015

By Arnold A. Alalibo | NNP | May 27, 2015 – In what may be described as a new wave of sacks of the “president’s men” in different positions by President Goodluck Jonathan in apparent revenge for his lose in the last presidential election, the former Inspector-General of Police(IGP), Suleiman Abba, became one of the latest casualties of the ‘tsunami’.

This new move to sack some loyalists of the president does not come to me as a surprise as many of them have been accused of acts of disloyalty and anti-party activities to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) or the president himself in the just-concluded election, where the party suffered severe casualty.

But Abba’s forced exit in particular seems like a puzzle since he had barely been nine months on the job. Also, the manner of his sack keeps me pondering because he worked for a president who demonstrates patience and tolerance of appointees with lacklustre performance.

For President Jonathan to apply the big stick on Suleiman just about a month to the end of his government, indicates that the former IGP might have erred beyond a reasonable level of forgiveness.

One thing that is unique about this sack is that no reason was given for the action neither did it follow the usual pattern of wishing the person being relieved of a position a successful future endeavour. This has made reasons for his removal speculative.

This leaves me with the worry of the way and manner IGPs are appointed and fired in the country. I am wondering whether the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is not clear on the process for their appointment and dismissal. At least, I know that the president has to go through the Police Council to either appoint or dismiss an IGP. Section 216(2) is explicit on this.

I expect the president to satisfy that vital provision of the constitution before embarking on his action. The Nigerian Police is a very sensitive organisation and that is why it is centrally-controlled. It is for this reason and others that I cannot understand why only very few men have headed the institution without stumbling. The result is that the average tenure of an IGP of recent has been between eight and 16 months. This is too short for institutional history and meaningful reform of the force.

It is indeed sad that the Nigerian Police Force, which was once vibrant and effective, has become a nightmare. Its plight is further worsened by the fact that it can neither be regionalised nor localised. That makes it difficult for men of the force to be properly supervised or monitored for effectiveness.

The frequent change of IGPs leaves the force in a state of pity. So Nigerians have resigned themselves to the fact that nothing good can come out of the police which has become a national embarrassment.

The police have been and still go through difficult times right from its creation. But of recent, it was enmeshed in acts of corruption that have defaced its image severely. The force once lost about N26 billion to scammers, and had an IGP jailed for corruption. And then of recent it has allegedly lost its apolitical status.

Every police IGP and officer must be apolitical. They must be absolutely neutral and steer clear of political partisanship. They should remember that politicians understand the body language of their political appointees and watch their movements closely.

I think that Abba deserved the fate that befell him because, apart from being involved in politically-related controversies, the IGP entangled himself in the crisis which followed the defection of the House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Following Tambuwal’s defection, Abba withdrew the speaker’s police orderlies on the supposition that he did not deserve to keep them any longer having quit the majority party upon which platform he was elected speaker. The court had to bring sanity to the issue.

Also, there were reports that Abba was hobnobbing with the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and the Ekiti State APC. Then there was the gross breach of protocol observed during the visit of the Ghanaian President, John Mahama; which was considered an extreme case of negligence on the IG’s part.

The new IGP, Mr. Solomon Arase, a Deputy Inspector Genersl of Police, whose last posting was at the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department has to be cautious. Given what happened to his immediate predecessor, I have no doubt that he will learn from Abba’s experience and avoid the banana peels that swept him from office.

He has to realise that his primary duty is to maintain law and order, and to protect the people. He must keep the force out of politics and controversies and be concerned about its image. I expect him to steer the force away from corruption and incompetence and lead it to professionalism and excellent service.

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