Presidential endorsement of state banditry

By Okechukwu Nwanguma

More worrisome is the fact that President Jonathan, who is the operational head of the Nigeria Police Force (a constitutional aberration), has repeatedly demonstrated, in speech and action, his endorsement of these acts of banditry and impunity by the police, state security service and leading members of his party.

Clearly, this government is desperately and steadily moving along the high way of full blown dictatorship with the police and SSS as enforcement  squads for the repression of opposition. 

Mr. Presidents’ body language and the utterances by his spokespersons tell it all. This is an unfortunate draw back to the dark days of military tyranny which Nigerians fought and defeated at great cost.

We recall that in what could either be a crass display of tactlessness or a disdainful display of insensitivity to public opinion, President Jonathan chose to confirm Mr. Suleiman Abba, then Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), as substantive IGP in the same week that Mr. Suleiman unjustifiably withdrew police protection from Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

The IGP, in a display of loyalty to his political master, rather than to the law, ascribed to himself powers he does not have. Without any pretence at veiling his partisanship, the IGP went beyond his legal and professional boundry by usurping the role and powers of the judiciary to interpret the constitution and then proceeded to pronounce and enforce punishment on the speaker. 

He  withdrew the  police details attached to the Speaker because the Speaker defected from the PDP to APC. 

And the President, in a clear gesture and typical character of rewarding police partisanship and incompetence, confirmed Mr. Suleiman Abba as substantive IGP, without regard to overwhelmingly disapproving and dissenting public opinion.

 If we are scandalised that the Presidency could approve and justify the withdrawal of the Speaker's police details, then our conscience remains even the more outraged by the approval by this same Presidency of massive official security escort for Ali Modu Sherrif, the former Governor of Borno State who is suspected to be a key Boko Haram sponsor.