NIGERIA POLICE AND THE RE-BRANDING PROJECT
By Tukur Abba Moddibo
I would want to preface this article on the Nigeria Police Force with remarks on Dora Akunyili and her Re-branding Nigeria campaign. Because the Nigeria Police and its poor reputation is a central force in the constellation of forces that have kept Nigeria’s image at its lowest ebb. The perceived and real feelings of marginalization of federating units and ethnic groups that constitute the country and its associated conflicts, rebellions, militancy and other “unpatriotic” behaviours that are common among nationality groups have contributed immensely to the low international ratings of the largest black nation in the world.
Therefore, the Re-branding Nigeria Project cannot be a success without great transformation and sensitivity on the part of the Federal Government on the pattern of appointments into the Office of the Inspector-General of Nigeria Police and other sensitive positions in the country. This is why it is appropriate to ask: who succeeds Mike Okiro as he retires as the Inspector General of Police? Let there be no pretense about it that the Southeast and the South-South of the country have been kept down by the rest of the country for long, perhaps as an off-shoot of the Nigeria Civil war which our own dear Yakubu Gowon declared as having ended on “No Victor, No Vanquished” note. So if Nigeria wants to move forward, it has to tell itself the truth and give every section of the country a sense of belonging by abolishing every discriminatory policies against its peoples on the bases of language, tribe, religion, gender and political affiliation and treat all as a vital segment of this great nation.
The transformation of Nigerian Police; particularly after the Obasanjo years and the Nuhu Ribadu saga is a matter of urgent national importance. There is need to return the public security institution to its natural part of regimentation, discipline and command structure devoid of partisan politics which has taken a great toll on it. The politicization of appointments and promotions should be carefully checked if Nigeria is to have a Police Force that can defend its democracy. The selective implementation of accelerated and double promotions and postings in the force weakens the morale of officers and men of the Force. The restoration of the hierarchical command structure of the Police Force can be used by the President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua government to pursue the cause of national integration and render centrifugal movements like Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, (MASSOB), Movement for the Emancipation of Niger-Delta, (MEND), Odua Peoples Congress, (OPC) and their leaders redundant, irrelevant and impotent. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for the President Yar’Adua’s government as the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, once more is on the verge of being vacant.
According to THISDAY Newspaper of the 24 th of March 2009, “the Inspector-General of Police Mike Okiro has written a formal letter to the Presidency, informing it that his tenure will be expiring by July this year.” It was interesting to read from the report that “Okiro also rated the officers in his letter but refrained from recommending any of them as his successor. The officers include Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo; DIG ‘A’ Finance and Administration; Alhaji Uba Ringim DIG ‘E’ Training; Yusuf Haruna DIG ‘D’ Investigations, and John Hamza Ahmadu DIG ‘F’ Research and Training.” The report also reminded its readers of the one-year extension which Sunday Ehindero, Okiro’s predecessor had enjoyed under the leadership of former President Obasanjo and indicated that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was not in the habit of extending tenure of public officers which expires on account of age.
I honestly commend the position of the President on the issue of extension of public officers’ tenure. This flagrant use of power should be considered as past abuses that belong to the Obasanjo years and should not be imported into an era when there is need to inject new blood and feelings to the Nigeria’s near-comatose democracy and social system. This should be a time of rejuvenation and quality rebirth in our national life. Engineer Ebele Okeke served as the first female Head of Service of the Federation for about six months and retired while Ama Pepple another woman succeeded her. This is due process in action as no one felt offended in the process. This style of succession in the Civil Service helps the morale of public servants who aspire to such high positions to serve with diligence; hoping they will naturally get their due without marginalization and nepotism due to politics.
From 1964 to date, the Force has been led by thirteen indigenous Inspectors-General of Police. The break down of this detailing their periods of service and geopolitical zones is enumerated below.
The first was Louis Edet who served from 1964 to 1966. He was from South-South geopolitical zone. Then, Kam Salem who served from 1966 to 1975. He was from northeast geopolitical zone. In 1975, M.D Yusuf assumed the office till 1979. He is from Katsina North western Nigeria. Adamu Suleiman succeeded M.D. Yusuf in 1979 and was there till 1981. He was from Northeast of Nigeria. Sunday Adewusi from Southwest became the Inspector–General in 1986 till 1989. He was succeeded by Etim Inyang from South-South zone 1983 to 1986. Mohammadu Gambo–Jimeta became the head of the Nigeria Police Force from 1986 to 1989. He is from North East. Gambo-Jimeta was succeeded by Aliyu Atta from the present day Kogi State North Central Nigeria from 1990 to 1993. Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie from Katsina State North Central Nigeria became the Inspector General from 1993 to 1999.. In 1999, Musliu Smith became the leader of the Nigeria Police till 2002. He is from southwest geo-political zone. He was succeeded by his kinsman Tafa Balogun 2002-2005. In 2005, Sunday Ehindero from the Southwest also stepped into the highest office in the Nigeria Police Force and remained there till the end of the second tenure of President Obasanjo in 2007 having enjoyed a year Presidential extension. It was, therefore, in June 2007 that Mike Okiro was appointed the Inspector-General of Police. He is from Rivers State South-South Nigeria. By his appointment, it was expected that he was going to help curtail the excesses of the Niger-delta militants who were virtually making the area uncomfortable for foreigners and oil company workers. Having attained the age of sixty, the man is ready to go home and rest after several years of service to Nigeria through the Police Force.
By the foregoing, it is very glaring that the Southeast geo-political zone in the country has been left out in the appointment and selection of the successive Inspectors-General of the Nigeria Police Force. The people of the area have seen this strategic negligence as a deliberate policy and attempt by the Nigerian State to keep them down since the end of the Nigerian-Biafra civil war of 1967 to 1970. The Federal Government of Nigeria however has never considered this as true. And I hope so!
Therefore in the light of the new realities, I pray to God and appeal to President Umaru Yar’Adua to bring this war to an end and let a South easterner succeed Mike Okiro. That way our desire to build a united Nigeria will make better meaning and help re-brand the country better than one million advert copies and billions of naira Dora Akunyili will waste advertising on the Cable Network News (CNN).
Tukur Abba Moddibo, a retired Civil Servant writes from No.15 NEPA ROAD Jimeta, Yola Adamawa State.
