“We all have to start somewhere, and doing something is better than nothing at all. Start small so you don’t get discouraged and give up. Remember it is all about consistency”. Khloe Kardashian
My attention has been drawn to the protest by some Sponsored Officers of the Nigeria Police Force against the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, over what they called ‘witch hunting and injustice’ in recent transfer and postings across the country.
First of all, I want the Sponsored Officers to know that the Inspector General of Police in consultation with the Police Service Commission has the sole power to transfer or post any officer of the Force.
It is laughable to say that the Inspector General of Police has flooded “strategic commands and units with his ‘kinsmen’ from Niger State”; others alleged that he has embarked on vendetta against officers who have hope of “ascending the highest position in the force in future”.
I want to ask the Sponsored Officers some few questions:
· Is the former Commissioner of Police in Lagos, AIG Aderanti from Niger State?
· Is it the duty of IGP to promote any Police Officer to the highest position in the force?
· The Sponsored Officer claimed that the reasons for their protest are the remarkable improvement in the zone before now, why didn’t they protest against the immediate AIG before AIG Abdulmajid Ali was transferred to Zone 2?
· Were the Sponsored Officer scared that AIG Aderanti will expose their atrocities when he assume office as he has been a Commissioner of Police in Lagos State and knows them very well?
· Are these Sponsored Officers in Nigeria when their colleagues were been killed by Armed Robbers, Herdsmen, Mob e.t.c? Why didn’t they protest the Killings?
· Are there no ways to register grievances in the Nigeria Police Force again than to result to sponsored protest from Politicians?
Nigerians should be weary of Politicians dressed in Police uniform. It is funny that this protest is as a result of dirty politics and favoritism which AIG Ali initiated and has eaten deep in Zone 2.
The Sponsored Officers claimed that since AIG Abdulmajid Ali assumed duties in Zone 2, he commenced massive training of officers and men of the zone by establishing a tactical training ground in Ogun and Ikorodu in Lagos State. He also set up three Zonal Intervention Squad to track kidnappers, thereby bringing sanity to the zone but failed to say that the cleansing started since the time of Assistant Inspector General of Police, Umar Manko when he was the AIG Zone 2.
What is the assurance that the new AIG to replace AIG Abdulmajid Ali will not do better than him?
In fact, the Sponsored Officers claimed that “As soon as he assumed duties, he embarked on a cleansing exercise that led to the transfer of no fewer than 250 erring officers and men out of the zone which has about 650 policemen. These were our colleagues that have over-stayed in the zone and their activities had continued to be inimical to the efficient and effective performance of their duties,”
Can AIG Abdulmajid Ali do all these without the support of IGP Ibrahim Idris and his management team?
Do these Sponsored officers know if AIG Abdulmajid Ali was purposely sent to Zone 2 to make those changes return to the Force Headquarters for a greater assignment?
For the information of those Sponsored Officers, AIG Aderanti as a former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State is well conversant with the security of Lagos and its environment and with the completion of his course/training at Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, Jos, Zone 2 will experience transformed and water tight security.
As I was about concluding my write up, a colleague who witness the protest said that he suspect some powerful politicians and royal fathers from Zone 2 to be behind the protest as AIG Abdulmajid Ali, who had barely spent 2 months in the zone had become a tool in their hands.
IGP Ibrahim Idris is truly an exemplary of “Democratic Police” as he has the power to act according to the Law establishing the Police Force. Unlike other former IGPs, IGP Ibrahim Idris is fearless, takes decisions in consultation with his management team, and he is not tele-guided nor takes instructions from Emirs, Obas or Politicians.
I therefore urge the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris to as a matter of urgency, recommend the suspension of the Sponsored Officers to the Police Service Commission as their continued stay in that Zone is dangerous to the Police Force and might frustrate the Agenda of the IGP and the incoming AIG to that Zone.
Nigerians must know that corruption will always fight back and the more reasons we need to support the IGP Ibrahim Idris and the Nigeria Police Force with maximum cooperation to ensure that this country shall continue to be more united and prosperous.
May Almighty Allah continue to guide IGP Ibrahim Idris – Amen.
Adewole Kehinde is a Journalist and Public Affair Analyst based in Abuja. [email protected]
