President Jonathan Blocks IG’s Lobby For Tenure Elongation As Arase Set To Take Over IG Abubakar left & In coming IG, Arase right President Goodluck Jonathan has rebuffed moves by friends and associates of the outgoing Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar to get an extension of tenure. Zamfara-born Abubakar joined the Nigeria Police Force on July 30, 1979 as a cadet Inspector. He is due to retire on July 30, 2014, when he would have spent the mandatory 35 years in service. Pointblanknews gathered that President Jonathan is disappointed with Abubakar’s performance, and has settled for a more cerebral Soloman Arase, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB). Edo-born Arase, who has degrees in political science and law, is a fellow of the National War College. His bureau is the only arm of the police that sifts intelligence on crimes and national security. Sources gathered that the Presidency settled for Arase following the need for a vibrant IG with the exposure and experience in intelligence gathering, the trend in contemporary policing. The tradition has been to pick the IG from the pool of AIGs or DIGs. Earlier in the year there had been reports that the Presidency was considering Suleiman Fakai, deputy Inspector General of Police in chairge of finance and administration. A graduate of geography, Fakai hails from Kebbi State, the same North west zone that has produced Minister of Defence, IG Abubakar, Comptroller-General of Customs Inde Dikko, among other key security appointments. “Going by Federal Character principle, the North west is not eligible to produce any IG, at least for now,” a source told Pointblanknews. Presidency sources told Pointblanknews that Abubakar had deployed lobbyists led by billionnaire industralist Aliko Dangote to make President Jonathan make him stay in office for “another three to six months.” Another group of lobbyists led by Minister of Defence retired General Aliyu Gusau and another “very infleuntial minister” made unsuccessful attempts to convince Jonathan. Abubakar’s kinsman Gusau is one of the most influential retired Generals, and has been a key player in every successful military coup in Nigeria since General Muhammadu Buhari’s on 31st December, 1983. As Director of Military Intelligence and later, Defence Intelligence, Chief of Army Staff, National Security Adviser (NSA), and currently Defence Minister, Gusau reportedly deployed his influence to hurl Abubakar and several security personnel from the Zamfara/Sokoto/Kebbi axis rise to the top. Several officers from Gusau’s zone in the Police, State Security Services (SSS), Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), among other security agencies, enjoy preferential postings and accelerated promotions. Abubakar and Fakai are examples. Since May 29, 1999 all Inspector Generals of Police including Musiliu Smith, Tafa Balogun, Sunday Ehindero, Mike Okiro and Ogbonna Onovo, earned university degrees before enlisting in the Force. The quintet enlisted as cadet Assistant Supritendents of Police (ASP). The streak was however broken in September 2010 when President Jonathan appointed Jigawa-born Hafiz Ringim as IG. Ringim joined the police with an advanced diploma. His successor Mohammed Abubakar enlisted with a Teachers’ Grade II certificate. Both officers joined as cadet Inspectors. Under Abubakar the Nigeria Police shirked its constitutional responsibility of enforcing law and order. The organization tactically withdrew from combating terrorism, electing instead to periodically deploy thousands of officers during elections. As one top officer put it, Abubakar cleverly didn’t want to rock Boko Haram’s boat the way Hafiz Ringim (his predecesor) did. “Remember that our (police) headquarters was bombed few hours after Ringim boasted in Maiduguri that with the APCs deployed there, Boko Haram’s days were numbered,” reminded the officer. “So, MD (Abubakar) went about minding his business as IG. He wouldn’t touch Boko Haram with a 10-foot pole. Any wonder his only achievement is the PPP housing estate after Kubwa?” he added. Interestingly, a report by a judicial commission of inquiry into the Jos crisis had indicted Abubakar, who was Commissioner of Police in Plateau State at the time, for siding with islamic fundamentalists. The commission was chaired by Late Justice Niki Toby. Source: pointblanknews
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 06:39:23 +0000
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