Breaking News: Jonathan fires IGP Hafiz Ringim, appoints Mohammed Abubakar as the new police chief

Posted by admin National Politics, Nigerian Police, Top Stories Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

New IGP, Mohammed Abubakar

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Mr. Mohammed D. Abubakar as Acting Inspector General of Police.

In a statement, the presidency said the appointment was the “first step towards the comprehensive reorganization and repositioning of the Nigeria Police Force to make it more effective and capable of meeting emerging internal security challenges.”

Mr. Jonathan has also established a Special Committee to oversee the urgent reorganization of the Police, the statement said, to be chaired by the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mr. Parry B.O Osayande, DIG (rtd).

Commenting on the security situation in the country last October, Mr. Osayande complained that of the police staff strength of 330,000, over 100,000 were attached to privileged individuals, “carrying handbags for their wives,” leaving 230,000 men to police 150 million Nigerians.

“Are these 150 million Nigerians supposed not to be protected, if only a few fortunate individuals are being protected by over 100,000 policemen?” he asked.
Other members of the new committee, which strangely was not given a deadline, are: Mr.

Casimir T. Akagbosu, AIG (rtd.); Mr. Bashir A. Albasu, AIG (rtd.); Major Gen. S.N. Chikwe, rtd.; Prof. S.D. Mukoro; Dr. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN; Aisha Larai Tukur; and the Solicitor General of the Federation. The Permanent Secretary, SSO, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation will serve as the Secretary to the Committee.

The Committee’s Terms of Reference are as follows: 

1. To identify the challenges and factors militating against effective performance in the Nigeria Police Force and make recommendations for addressing the challenges.

  2. To examine the scope and standard of training and other personnel development activities in the Police to determine their adequacy or otherwise.

To determine the general and specific causes of the collapse of public confidence in the police and recommend ways of restoring public trust in the institution.  

4. To examine records of performance of Officers and Men of the Nigeria Police Force with a view to identifying those that can no longer fit into the system due to declining productivity, age, indiscipline, corruption and/or disloyalty;  

5. To make any other recommendations for the improvement of the Nigeria Police Force.
The statement said the Committee’s recommendations are to be implemented along with those of previous committees set up by Government on the reform of the Nigeria Police Force, which raises the issue of whether they will not be left in the same junk-heap. Mr. Jonathan has a 100% record of failing to implement reports of committees that are on his desk.

While choosing Mr. Abubakar as IGP, Mr. Jonathan wiped out an entire generation of six Deputy Inspectors-General, the level above his.

He will succeed Mr. Hafiz Ringim, who was given a National Award by Jonathan only three months ago despite his spectacular failure on the job. Mr. Ringim proceeds on terminal leave with effect from today.

Two months ago, Mr. Jonathan also relieved Farida Waziri, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, of her post. In March 2010, he fired the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa. Like Mrs. Waziri, the dismissed AG had also been dogged by a litany of corruption allegations.

Only two weeks ago, Aondoakaa’s replacement as AG, Mohammed Bello Adoke, was embroiled in corruption allegations that have similarly been ignored by Mr. Jonathan. Ireports-ng.com reported several accounts belonging to the Minister, allegedly containing billions of naira, millions of US dollars and British pounds.

Ireports-ng-com said Adoke, who had previously faced allegations of withdrawing corruption charges against many corrupt people in exchange for cash, had $16 million US dollars in one account; $24 million US dollars in another; and 5.3 million pounds in a third. The website published the numbers of the accounts.

In his response, Mr. Adoke said he did not quite have in those accounts the amounts quoted. As usual, Mr. Jonathan refused to investigate or sanction him, a practice that has seen the steady nurturing of corruption in the country.

-Saharareporters.comwp_posts