Hehehe...The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, yesterday, became the
first major casualty of the just concluded general elections, which President
Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lost to the
opposition.
The police officer, who was elevated to the post only last year, incurred the wrath of the Presidency on the eve of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for allegedly arguing with the government officials over the directive to recall the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, from Rivers State.
Abba, Vanguard reports, had deployed Ogunshakin from his base in Calabar to Port Harcourt to
oversee the governorship election in Rivers State following complaints by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, that the police had collaborated with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the PDP to intimidate APC members and rig the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
His refusal to pick calls over Ogunshakin’s recall
Another source said the former police boss reportedly ignored presidency official’s objection to the deployment of Ogunshakin to Rivers State on the allegation that the police officer was sympathetic to Amaechi and his party and would, therefore, not allow the PDP win the state.
A Presidency source told Vanguard that on learning that the IG had defied its order by redeploying Ogunshakin to Rivers State to supervise the governorship elections. A presidency official called the former police boss to recall the AIG with immediate effect from Rivers State or face the consequences.
The source said the presidency felt slighted when it could not get through to Abba.
The former police boss reportedly told the Presidency that AIG Ogunshakin was a formidable Police officer whom he described as a ‘no-nonsense officer’ feared and respected in the Police Force hierarchy and capable of ensuring law and order in the place of new assignment.
Vanguard learnt that although the sacked IG reluctantly recalled Ogunshakin from Rivers State, forcing him to quit Port Harcourt by 5 am on the election day, Presidency did not forgive Abba for redeploying Ogunshakin reluctantly.
Presence at Buhari’s certificate of return presentation
Another sin of the former IG was his presence at the presentation of the Certificate of Return to Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre on April 1, 2015, which convinced the Presidency that the IG was actually working for the opposition and it moved quickly against him.
Arase replaces Abba.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, could not also be reached for comments on the development.
Abba’s sack was announced by the president’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, in a statement No reason was given for the sack while a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, was appointed to act in his stead. However..............
There was confusion and drama at the Force Headquarters in Abuja,
yesterday, as the sacked Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, stalled
the formal handover to his successor, Mr Solomon Arase, until he was compelled
to do so by the Presidency.
Handing overceremony: Acting Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase
(middle) discussing with his Deputy Inspector General of Police Hashimu (left)
and DIG Doma (right) shortly after handing over in Abuja yesterday. Photo by
Gbemiga Olamikan
This came as some former Inspectors-General of Police expressed
reservations over the manner Abba was removed while other leaders were divided
over the sack.
The handover ceremony which was earlier slated for 8 a.m. with
invitations sent to journalists for coverage from the office of the Force
Public Relations Officer, did not take place until almost 4pm following the
absence of the ex-Police boss at the headquarters.
Abba was said to have removed all his personal belongings before leaving
the office around 11.20 p.m. after the announcement, Tuesday. According to his
aides, when they visited his official residence at Maitama early yesterday,
Abba said he was yet to receive any official letter informing him to hand over
as he heard the news of his sack on radio and television like other Nigerians.
Vanguard learnt that reporters who converged in their numbers early in the
morning for the handover, were disappointed as they were not allowed access to
Force Headquarters. No reasons, according to sources, were given for the delay
in the handing over ceremony.
3 DIGs protest appointment of Arase
Meanwhile, uncertainty continued to pervade Force Headquarters after it
was reliably gathered that three of the serving Deputy Inspectors-General of Police
were holding an emergency secret meeting in one of the offices on the 6th floor
of the headquarters building.
Feelers from the meeting indicated that they resolved to strongly
protest the appointment of their contemporary, Arase, DIG Intelligence, as
acting Police boss on the grounds that they were all promoted same day on
February 20, 2014.
The three DIGs were also said to have sworn to contest the appointment
of Arase to the highest level because they were not well treated by his
appointment. While palpable tension generated by the ugly development threw
Force Headquarters into confusion, other top officers and the rank and file
were seen in different moods.
Many of them stood in groups discussing the development in hushed tones.
Some officers were also seen in jubilant mood, praising President Goodluck
Jonathan for taking the decisive action.
They alleged that they were not well treated by the former IGP during
the elections as they were not paid their due allowances. Many of the officers,
however, commended the appointment of Arase, noting that he is well suited for
the job.
Handover at last
While the situation continued to generate tension, relief came at last
after the Presidency reportedly directed that the ceremony must be completed
without fail before end of the working day.
This, according to sources, forced Abba to quickly rush to Force
Headquarters after directing Force Public Relations Officer to issue fresh
releases inviting reporters for the ceremony at 2.30pm. The handover later took
place around 4.30pm.
I’ll provide highest possible level of professional leadership —Arase
After the dust had settled, the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr.
Solomon Ehigiator Arase, yesterday took over command of the Nigeria Police
Force from his predecessor, Abba, with a declaration that he will provide the
highest possible level of professional leadership while trusting that officers
and men shall march hand-in-hand with him to advance the fortunes of the Force.
HAND-OVER: Former Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba (right),
handing over the Force flag to Acting Inspector-General, Mr Solomon Arase, in
Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.
Arase made the declaration even as he warned unrepentant felons who may
want to put to test the common will of the Force by disrupting the re-run
elections in Imo, Abia and Taraba states to think again as the Force will not
hesitate to deploy its potent assets to deal firmly and decisively with
deviants.
His words: “My dear officers, the task of blending our acclaimed quality
human assets with quality leadership is the main challenge ahead of us but it
is one I am convinced we can surmount.
“In so doing, we must resolve, both individually and collectively, to
hold our duties sacred, perform our functions with pride and exhibit the
highest level of professional excellence in all our engagements.
“Let me use this opportunity to quickly remind you that aside our
routine operations, we have within the short term, two major national
assignments where our professional expertise and commitment will once again be
subjected to national and international scrutiny. First, is the conduct of the
governorship elections in areas where they were declared inconclusive by INEC—
Imo, Abia and Taraba states.
“The second is the delivery of hitch-free presidential, governorship,
National/state Assembly inauguration at federal and state levels. While with
your support, I am confident that we have the operational capacity to ensure
the success of both exercises, I am not unmindful of the possible security
threats that some lawless individuals may attempt to pose during the make-up
elections.
“Consequently, while the unique intelligence assets of the force will be
deployed to proactively support our operational plans, there shall also be
massive deployment of men and materials to the affected areas in order to
assure a secure environment for the qualified electorate to exercise their franchise.
“I must, however, re-emphasize that as a nation, we have had enough of
electoral violence. Therefore, under my leadership, we shall work closely with
INEC and other strategic stakeholders to ensure that such acts will not only be
defined as intolerable; perpetrators will be identified, isolated and brought
to deserved justice to act as deterrence.
Arase urges politicians to play the game by the rules
“To the unrepentant felons that may want to put our common will to test,
the message is being relayed here loud and clear, that in securing the
law-abiding, we shall also not hesitate to deploy our potent assets to deal
firmly and decisively with deviants. In addition, I will ensure that the AIGs
and CPs that will be deployed for the election duties are empowered enough to
ensure the success of their operations.
“In line with the principle of ‘to whom much is given, much more is
expected’, such senior officers should be prepared to be accountable for their
actions while the exercise lasts.”
While calling on political actors to assist the Police and other law
enforcement agents in sustaining the gains recorded in our democracy journey,
the Acting IG said:
“They should remember that politics is a game guided by rules and it
behoves them to play the game by the rules.”
On Abba, he said: “Aside being a vastly experienced police
administrator, IGP Suleiman Abba is known to be gifted with exceptional
leadership qualities which have manifested in his trade mark comportment,
humility and respect and courtesy with which he treated members of his
management team throughout his tenure. Even more elating is that he is a unique
motivational leader that demonstrated genuine passion for the welfare of
officers and men of the force.”
I want to move on with my life —Abba
On his part, former IGP, Abba said: “Let me first congratulate the
acting IGP for the elevation. With every sense of sincerity of purpose, let me
say it is a well deserved appointment, not only for the management of the force
but for the society of Nigeria. That is to say I wish him well and know he will
do well.
“I want to thank the Almighty God for my appointment and like He (God)
said, He alone gives and He takes; particularly now that I am leaving in good
health. I want to also thank President Jonathan for appointing me as IGP and
seeing me up to this time because I believe God knows the best.
“Now I want to move on with my life and in doing that, I want to use
this opportunity to appeal to those who we might have offended to know that the
nature of policing in a country like Nigeria is fraught with its challenges. We
have different people, different values. Even at that, I want to appeal to
those who feel deeply offended to have a place in their heart to forgive and
lend support to my colleagues.
“My happiness is that we have gone through the elections and after all
the hard work, the elections are almost over. I want to thank those who helped
in making sure that we have peace today. Leading in this line is President
Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigeria Police Force, other security agencies, the Peace
committee, civil society groups. But it is not yet over because elections are
yet to be concluded in three states.”
Ex-IGPs regret sack, say action killing police force
Meanwhile, some former Inspectors-General of Police have expressed
reservations over Abba’s sack, saying the action of the President and others in
the past was killing the Nigerian Police Force.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, former Inspector-General of
Police, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Attah expressed regret that with the sacking of
Abba, the Nigerian Police Force has produced six different Inspectors-General
of Police within a period of six years, noting that by so doing, the best
trained officers of the force were being eased out at such fast pace without
equally well-trained and well-experienced replacements.
Noting that if reasons for Abba’s removal which were attributed to
political issues were true, Attah said:
“Then I think it is not good for somebody who is an IGP not to be
allowed to do his job. He is a professionally trained officer. In fact, I read
it two days before his sack that Abba will go because of certain issues about
politics but before one can say jack, Mr. President removed him. It is not the
best for the police institution.
“The young man that is leaving (Abba), I can’t fault him for the way he
did his job during the elections. He moved officers from point A to point B
because he wanted a good job done. So they cannot say he was partial. He knows
his officers. If Abubakar is good for Sokoto, he posted him there, if Ikechukwu
is good for Ebonyi, he posted him there. It is when you see him collecting
money that you can sanction him and that is not the case.
“I don’t think the Prime Minister of Britain would get involved in such
a thing. The American ambassador was at Force Headquarters to commend the IGP
for a marvellous job during elections, the next thing, the IGP is being sacked.
I hope this will be the last of it.
“Do not get me wrong. Both Abba and Arase are officers who grew up under
us. Arase, Abba and some others are very intelligent officers, professionals to
the core but their breed are few and adequate training has not been impacted in
the force to produce others like them. Aside from this, Arase according to the
law is supposed to retire soon.
“So the Police, as it is now, are gradually being moved to ground zero.
Why I am not happy is that we are doing these things and we are not thinking
about training and improving the capacity for the force.”
On how it can be averted
On how incidents like this can be averted in future, the former IGP said
such bodies like the Council of State for former heads of state, Council of
Chief Justices and other retired senior judges who are consulted from time to
time, should be constituted for the police that will involve retired IGP’s, who
will be consulted when such issues arise.
“The truth is that you have to bring up the police force that we
deserve. If you train them shabbily and there are no good accommodation and
nobody cares, ours is just to see the policeman on duty, the policeman makes
his uniform, buys his beret, then these things will manifest.
“Also, something must be done in the area of training so that as the
hierarchy is going, the ones taking over are seen to be capable to do the job.
Many retired IGPs are not happy about what is going on because it is killing
the force.”
Leaders differ on IGP’s sack
Also, barely a day after the sack of Abba, northern leaders have
differed on the action, saying that it portends a bad omen for the country.
Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, described the removal of
Abba as a political vendetta carried out to massage the political ego of
Jonathan and his grieving party, the PDP, having lost the elections to the
opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.
Mohammed said that the sack of the police officer was not only ill-timed
but carried out without any justifiable reasons that Nigerians of good
conscience could applaud.
The former presidential aide said although Abba did not impress him as a
professional police officer given his role in the National Assembly imbroglio
of last year, it was wrong for the President to fire him from his post on
account of doing his job to satisfy the larger interest of the country.
He said that it was also wrong for sitting presidents to appoint senior
police officers principally on the basis of supporting the government in power
to win elections or fire them in the event of losing grounds.
“We must begin to appoint senior police officers on the basis of competence
and merit so that they can help in sustaining and implementing the criminal
justice system and add value to our democracy,” Mohammed said.
“Any attempt by any government in Nigeria to choose and pick partisan
elements to occupy top posts in the Nigerian Police with a view to assisting
the government in power to win elections is against the spirit and character of
the Nigerian constitution and will never work.”
But the President of the Northern Elders’ Council, Alhaji Tanko
Yakassai, argued that President Jonathan might have had a more serious reason
for relieving the IGP of his post and should not be condemned for playing his
constitutional role.
Yakassai, who spoke in an interview with Vanguard, said it was
too early for Nigerians to begin to blame Jonathan for his action, asking them
to find out why the police officer was fired barely a few weeks to the end of
the administration that brought him to power.
The presidential adviser to former President Shehu Shagari said: “I
believe that there must be a more serious reason for the action of the
president than what is currently being bandied about in the media. “Nigerians
may never know the true position on the removal of the IGP but they need to
find out before advancing reasons.”
The
Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, yesterday, became the
first major casualty of the just concluded general elections, which
President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, lost to the opposition. - See more at:
http://www.lailasblog.com/2015/04/why-jonathan-fired-igp-suleiman-abba.html#more
The
Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, yesterday, became the
first major casualty of the just concluded general elections, which
President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, lost to the opposition.
The police officer, who was elevated to the post only last year, incurred the wrath of the Presidency on the eve of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for allegedly arguing with the government officials over the directive to recall the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, from Rivers State.
Abba, Vanguard reports, had deployed Ogunshakin from his base in Calabar to Port Harcourt to
oversee the governorship election in Rivers State following complaints by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, that the police had collaborated with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the PDP to intimidate APC members and rig the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
His refusal to pick calls over Ogunshakin’s recall
Another source said the former police boss reportedly ignored presidency official’s objection to the deployment of Ogunshakin to Rivers State on the allegation that the police officer was sympathetic to Amaechi and his party and would, therefore, not allow the PDP win the state.
A Presidency source told Vanguard that on learning that the IG had defied its order by redeploying Ogunshakin to Rivers State to supervise the governorship elections. A presidency official called the former police boss to recall the AIG with immediate effect from Rivers State or face the consequences.
The source said the presidency felt slighted when it could not get through to Abba.
The former police boss reportedly told the Presidency that AIG Ogunshakin was a formidable Police officer whom he described as a ‘no-nonsense officer’ feared and respected in the Police Force hierarchy and capable of ensuring law and order in the place of new assignment.
Vanguard learnt that although the sacked IG reluctantly recalled Ogunshakin from Rivers State, forcing him to quit Port Harcourt by 5 am on the election day, Presidency did not forgive Abba for redeploying Ogunshakin reluctantly.
Presence at Buhari’s certificate of return presentation
Another sin of the former IG was his presence at the presentation of the Certificate of Return to Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre on April 1, 2015, which convinced the Presidency that the IG was actually working for the opposition and it moved quickly against him.
Arase replaces Abba.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, could not also be reached for comments on the development.
Abba’s sack was announced by the president’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, in a statement yesterday. No reason was given for the sack while a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, was appointed to act in his stead.
- See more at: http://www.lailasblog.com/2015/04/why-jonathan-fired-igp-suleiman-abba.html#moreThe police officer, who was elevated to the post only last year, incurred the wrath of the Presidency on the eve of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for allegedly arguing with the government officials over the directive to recall the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, from Rivers State.
Abba, Vanguard reports, had deployed Ogunshakin from his base in Calabar to Port Harcourt to
oversee the governorship election in Rivers State following complaints by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, that the police had collaborated with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the PDP to intimidate APC members and rig the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
His refusal to pick calls over Ogunshakin’s recall
Another source said the former police boss reportedly ignored presidency official’s objection to the deployment of Ogunshakin to Rivers State on the allegation that the police officer was sympathetic to Amaechi and his party and would, therefore, not allow the PDP win the state.
A Presidency source told Vanguard that on learning that the IG had defied its order by redeploying Ogunshakin to Rivers State to supervise the governorship elections. A presidency official called the former police boss to recall the AIG with immediate effect from Rivers State or face the consequences.
The source said the presidency felt slighted when it could not get through to Abba.
The former police boss reportedly told the Presidency that AIG Ogunshakin was a formidable Police officer whom he described as a ‘no-nonsense officer’ feared and respected in the Police Force hierarchy and capable of ensuring law and order in the place of new assignment.
Vanguard learnt that although the sacked IG reluctantly recalled Ogunshakin from Rivers State, forcing him to quit Port Harcourt by 5 am on the election day, Presidency did not forgive Abba for redeploying Ogunshakin reluctantly.
Presence at Buhari’s certificate of return presentation
Another sin of the former IG was his presence at the presentation of the Certificate of Return to Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre on April 1, 2015, which convinced the Presidency that the IG was actually working for the opposition and it moved quickly against him.
Arase replaces Abba.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, could not also be reached for comments on the development.
Abba’s sack was announced by the president’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, in a statement yesterday. No reason was given for the sack while a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, was appointed to act in his stead.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, yesterday, became the first major casualty of the just concluded general elections, which President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lost to the opposition.
The police officer, who was elevated to the post only last year, incurred the wrath of the Presidency on the eve of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for allegedly arguing with the government officials over the directive to recall the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, from Rivers State.
Abba, Vanguard reports, had deployed Ogunshakin from his base in Calabar to Port Harcourt to
oversee the governorship election in Rivers State following complaints by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, that the police had collaborated with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the PDP to intimidate APC members and rig the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
His refusal to pick calls over Ogunshakin’s recall
Another source said the former police boss reportedly ignored presidency official’s objection to the deployment of Ogunshakin to Rivers State on the allegation that the police officer was sympathetic to Amaechi and his party and would, therefore, not allow the PDP win the state.
A Presidency source told Vanguard that on learning that the IG had defied its order by redeploying Ogunshakin to Rivers State to supervise the governorship elections. A presidency official called the former police boss to recall the AIG with immediate effect from Rivers State or face the consequences.
The source said the presidency felt slighted when it could not get through to Abba.
The former police boss reportedly told the Presidency that AIG Ogunshakin was a formidable Police officer whom he described as a ‘no-nonsense officer’ feared and respected in the Police Force hierarchy and capable of ensuring law and order in the place of new assignment.
Vanguard learnt that although the sacked IG reluctantly recalled Ogunshakin from Rivers State, forcing him to quit Port Harcourt by 5 am on the election day, Presidency did not forgive Abba for redeploying Ogunshakin reluctantly.
Presence at Buhari’s certificate of return presentation
Another sin of the former IG was his presence at the presentation of the Certificate of Return to Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre on April 1, 2015, which convinced the Presidency that the IG was actually working for the opposition and it moved quickly against him.
Arase replaces Abba.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, could not also be reached for comments on the development.
Abba’s sack was announced by the president’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, in a statement yesterday. No reason was given for the sack while a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, was appointed to act in his stead.
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