Group condemns manner of picking IG, retirement of officers

The Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria(NOPRIN), an organization that acts as watch dog over the activities of the Nigeria Police Force, has condemned the manner in which successive Inspector-Generals- of Police are picked and retirement of many officers after the IGP emergence.

The National Coordinator of NOPRIN, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma said: “The appointment, on June 21, 2016 of a new Acting Inspector General of Police- Mr. Ibrahim Kpotun Idris by President Buhari, following the retirement of IGP Solomon Arase, has brought to the fore again, some pending issues which must be resolved urgently.

“First, we need to interrogate again, the propriety of the practice of premature and forceful retirement of a large number of active senior officers of the ranks of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) and Assistant Inspector General (AIG) just to pave way for the President to appoint a candidate of his choice. The consideration here is often narrow and political, rather than the broad national interest.”

According to Nwanguma, in some cases, the particular officer predetermined to be appointed had to be successively promoted two or more ranks ahead of his mates and seniors within a short span of time, just to position him for the appointment.

He added: “This comes with many grave implications. Resources invested in training, retraining and maintaining all the other officers to be retired, and the professional skills and knowledge they have acquired over the years are wasted. People are forced to compulsorily retire before their due dates or age of retirement. This creates acrimony, low morale, lack of dedication to duty and disloyalty among those left behind in promotion, some of whom may have stagnated in the same rank for as long as 30 years.”

Speaking on the picking IGP, Nwanguma noted that the existing procedure required that the Police Council, composed of the President, State Governors, the IGP and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, would meet periodically, and when vacancy existed for the office of the IGP, to consider and recommend a candidate from within the police force for appointment by the President.

But in practice, successive Presidents sideline the police council and unilaterally appoint, and can at any time, fire the IGP, said Nwanguma.

He insisted that the office of the IGP was too important and too sensitive to be left alone to the President and his political party to determine or play politics with. He said that in many climes, due process, and public safety and security were taken seriously; the appointment procedure for the chief of police was competitive and transparent.

“It allows for public debate and input, and confirmation by the parliament once the president makes the appointment. The removal procedure is also rigorous and often requires at least, 2/3 majority vote by parliament, and for specified misconduct. This is to guarantee operational autonomy and independence, security of tenure and professionalism in the leadership and management of the police. This is what civil society organisations in Nigeria, led by NOPRIN, have been campaigning for since 1999 when Nigeria returned to elected democracy,” said Nwanguma.

The Special Adviser to the President has been quoted as saying that the newly appointed acting IGP will remain in acting capacity until confirmed by the Police Service Commission (PSC). But this is neither the law nor the procedure. The PSC has no business with the appointment or confirmation of the IGP.  It is the Senate that has the powers to confirm the IGP once appointed by the President.

By the way, is it not curious that President Buhari has ignored several and repeated public calls, and continued to allow the current Chairman of the PSC, Mr.  Mike Okiro to remain in office as Chairman of the PSC in spite of all the pending and fresh corruption allegations against him, and despite other reasons tendered why he was unsuitable in the first place to be appointed as the Chairman of the commission?  PSC is statutorily responsible for police recruitment, promotion and discipline. But NOPRIN has received countless numbers of complaints from police officers- even as recent as this morning, who express bitterness over the dirty politics of promotion which makes it possible for many of them to remain stagnated in the same rank for several years while they watch their mates and juniors being doubly promoted. They allege that promotion is now determined, not by performance or length of service, but by ‘connections’ or ability to bribe ones way through, in cash or in kind.

It is even more curious that despite previous and recent petitions to the President, he has continued to allow the PSC headed by a tainted Chairman who carries a heavy moral burden to supervise the ongoing police recruitment process, a process that has over the years, been marred by  corruption and which has made it possible for ‘criminals and misfits to find their way into the police’ as President Obasanjo stated in 2008.

If President Buhari truly wants to reform the Nigeria police and ensure that  it is effective and able to discharge its functions of providing equal security for all without discrimination as to any ones political or religious affiliation, ethnic origin or social class, then he must support amendments of the constitution and the police act to restore operational control of the police to the IGP who is the professional in the field. He must also support the reform of the appointment procedure for the IGP  so as to ensure operational autonomy and security of tenure for the IGP.

He must also reorganise the Police Service Commission, first by removing Mr. Okiro as its Chairman since his integrity deficit has robbed off negatively on the credibility and effectiveness of the commission. President Buhari should ensure that all the stakeholders and interest groups which ought to be represented in the commission’s board, as stipulated by law, are represented- including civil society. He should ensure that police recruitment and promotions are no longer compromised by political interference and corruption. Many police officers who are sidelined or left behind in promotion are aggrieved and their morale and sense of dedication are very low. All these impact negatively on professionalism and effectiveness of the police as an institution and on national security. Civil society must renew their commitment and efforts in pushing the President to commit genuinely to these reforms.

Okechukwu Nwanguma is National Coordinator, NOPRIN