Idris: To Retire, Or Not To Retire?

Last week,
there were reports that President Muhammadu Buhari might have
approved a six-month tenure extension for Mr. Ibrahim Kpotun Idris,
the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

According to the reports, President
Buhari was said to have agreed in principle to grant the IGP
additional six months in office to enable him to coordinate and
supervise the forthcoming general elections in the
country.

Officially, Idris is due to retire
from the Nigeria Police Force on January 3, 2019, having put in the
mandatory 35 years in service. But, he was said to have lobbied
some senior Presidency functionaries, who, in turn, got Buhari to
extend the IG’s tenure.

A government source, who confirmed
the development in Abuja, explained that the IG might get the
official confirmation of the tenure extension “any moment from
now.”

He said: “It is a done deal; the
IG’s tenure has already been extended because the Presidency has
confidence in him. He would get the official confirmation any
moment from now; that is if he hasn’t received it
already.

“Extending the IG’s tenure is not
unexpected. The other service chiefs had their tenure extended by a
year. So, giving Idris the same privilege is nothing out of the
ordinary.”

Don’t Extend IGP’s Tenure, PDP Tells
Buhari

As soon as the information went
viral, the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
reacted, kicking against the alleged six months tenure extension
granted Idris.

Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National
Publicity Secretary,  said his party did not
trust the Inspector-General because the police had been biased
towards the opposition under his tenure.

He said the police boss, expected to
retire in January, deserved a blissful retirement after
January.

Ologbondiyan said the police had
taken sides in some partisan issues instead of neutrality and
capacity for fairness.

According to him, “We know that the
tenure of the IGP expires in January, next year. We don’t want the
government to extend his tenure. We want neutrality during the
election.”

He said the police deserve a new
IGP, who would be politically neutral, instead of dancing to the
tune of the Federal Government.

CUPP Kicks

Also, the opposition political
parties under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political
Parties, on its own, threatened to sue President Buhari to court
over the planned tenure extension.

The CUPP claimed that the planned
tenure extension would only afford the police boss the opportunity
to do the President’s bidding and work for the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC) in the general elections.

The coalition therefore resolved to
resist the move, claiming that the nation’s constitution did not
make any provision for tenure extension.

Imo Ugochinyere, CUPP’s First
National Publicity Secretary, said the opposition parties were
shifting their attention to the leadership of the force following
Buhari’s decision not to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill
and the inability of federal lawmakers to override his
veto.

He said: “We are insisting that the
Inspector-General of Police, whose tenure is expiring in January,
must leave the office.

“So, we are demanding that the
President should not extend his tenure because there is no such
provision in the constitution. A former police officer cannot be an
Inspector-General of Police. We will be filing an action in court
to ensure that he leaves office in January.”

Others Also Say ‘No’

The Coalition in Defence of Nigerian
Democracy and Constitution (CDNDC) also kicked against the alleged
tenure elongation, stressing that Idris had so far “demonstrated
lack of capacity and inability to effectively police Nigeria as the
IG.”

Dare Atoye, CDNDC Coordinator,
argued that wanton killings and criminality had increased under
Idris leadership of the police, adding that there were more
competent officers in the Force that could do the job
better.

He said: “The only good thing that
can happen to the Nigeria police is for the government of President
Buhari to look for a competent replacement; somebody who has the
discipline and the character to lead the force. I believe many
Nigerians would agree with me that the wanton killings in the
country and the lack of training without equipment have been
aggravated under his leadership.”

Speaking on the alleged reform of
the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) by Idris, the activist
observed that no reform had taken place, stressing that the
impunity being carried out by the squad was merely
suppressed.

He cited the arrest and arraignment
of an Abuja-based activist, Deji Adeyanju, by the police for
homicide, a charge for which he was discharged and acquitted by a
Kano High Court in 2009.

Ikechukwu Maduike,
Secretary-General, Basic Rights Enlightenment Foundation, also
kicked against the government’s decision, stressing that “the
police had become worse under the IG.”

Maduike, a lawyer, said, “We need
someone who has new ideas so we can see something new in the force.
I don’t think this IG has what it takes to transform the police
force.”

Idris Performed Well, Deserves Tenure Extension –
CCSJ Boss, Obi

Prince Goodluck Obi, Convener of the
Centre for Civil Society and Justice (CCSJ), on his own, commended
President Buhari over the planned tenure extension of Mr. Idris for
another six months.

Obi, who reacted to the news of
Idris’ extension of service, maintained that by available records,
the IGP deserves the privilege, adding that Buhari’s action should
be commended by all right thinking citizens.

The CCSJ boss stated that Idris,
during his tenure so far, had garnered a lot of achievements,
stressing that he had contributed a lot to the success of the
current administration with the several innovations he brought into
crime fighting and policing in the country.

Obi stated that the IGP had been
able to oversee more than 1,300 police stations, 370,800 men and
women, 36 state commands, 12 zones and seven administrative organs
of the Nigeria Police Force with effortless excellence.

He said that Idris was selected from
among the eligible senior police officers because of his
credibility, stressing that he was the only one who passed the
integrity test secretly conducted by the Presidency and had
completely repositioned the Force to be among the most efficient in
nation’s recent history.

Obi stressed that Idris had also
improved the lot of policemen through regular trainings, came out
with several policies to ensure safety of Nigerians at all times,
even as several high profile criminals had been arrested and
brought to book during his tenure.

He maintained that the next six
months would be very critical in the life of Nigerians as the
elections draw nearer, stressing that the Federal Government needed
a trusted hand like Idris, who had achieved everything that needed
to be achieved in his career, to head the police force between now
till the hand over in May 29 next year.

He urged Idris to justify the trust
of President Buhari in him by ensuring that he remained impartial,
especially in handling issued relating to the on-going political
campaigns by political parties and the elections proper.

Obi stressed that the CCSJ is a
coalition of over 150 civil society organisations (CSOs),
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based
organisations spread across the six geo-political zones of the
country.

Idris Should Not Stay In Office beyond January –
Lawyer

Barrister Moses Segba, a Warri-based
Legal Practitioner, stated: “Every lover of democracy has genuine
reason to be worried. Idris does not deserve to be in office beyond
January. He will do the country no good during the 2019 general
polls.

“His infamous role in crudely
policing Kano State as Police Commissioner to donate two million
votes to APC in 2015 is fresh in our memories. The IGP cannot
guarantee free and fair polls. He has a lot going against him and a
man with professional, moral and ideological deficit account like
Idris would go any length to please his paymasters. Many see this
IGP as a threat to democracy.

“The mysterious death of the INEC
Commissioner from Kano State and many other shoddy deeds within the
police are enough to stimulate worries among Nigerians. The
allegations that he would be used to perpetuate fraud in the
election are real. He allegedly did it before in 2015. That is the
only reason APC still boasts of capable of winning in 2019 after
the monumental failure in all indices of good
governance.

“In saner climes, APC candidates
should be stoned on the streets for failing on all counts. APC has
been tried and found wanting. The party has been put in the scale,
tried and found guilty of all the charges of maladministration,
corruption and deceit, perpetration of hunger and frustration,
lying themselves to power only to fail to deliver, accelerated
insecurity records with Boko Haram and herdsmen ravaging the
country with unabating fury, retention of certified thieves in the
current administration, a cabal holding the nation by the jugular
and many other incontrovertible evidences of irresponsible
management of the economy.

“The worst thing to happen to
Nigeria is for Buhari to continue in office beyond May 29, 2019. It
is time for him to quit the stage for a new lease of life for the
people.”

Appointing New IGP Now Is Dangerous –
Commentator

Boladale Bamigbola, an Osogbo-based
social commentator and journalist, maintained that the PDP’s call
was just a suggestion, as the President reserves the right to
appoint any top police officer as IGP in accordance to the
law.

He said that appointing new person
now as IGP is dangerous because the election is too close and
anybody appointed now would have to start to put his men that would
work for him and this may take longer time to do and may affect
preparations for the elections.

The suggestion of PDP is coming at
wrong time and will have negative and serious effect on the outcome
of the election.

He said: “Time is not on the side of
Mr. President to appoint new IGP. The current IGP only needs to
charge the policemen against failing the entire country and ensure
that the vote of people counts.”

PDP’s Fear Over Idris’ Tenure Extension Is Genuine
– Don

Dr Sampson Adokore Ikhuoria, a
Benin-based university lecturer, said: “I have every reason to
believe PDP’s fear because of IGP’s past behaviour. I even believe
that those Mobile Police being given special training now to fight
insurgency are going to be used to rig the elections before they
will be deployed for insurgency duties.

“Anything that would cause crisis
before, during and after the elections should be avoided by the
Federal Government because of the present mood of every Nigerian.
Nobody is happy, nobody is in a good frame of mind as a result of
hunger and insecurity brought about by bad government.

“So, any attempt to further provoke
the people into anger will be disastrous. Let nobody contemplate
anything called rigging in next year election because the
government will not be able to curtail the crisis that it will
ignite.”

Let Idris Go, Let Us Try A New IGP – GNP
Chief

Nnawuihe Johnson Nweafor, Chairman,
Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), Umualiri Ward, Owerri North LGA, in
Imo State, stated: “I understand that the IGP is expected to retire
next January having reached the mandatory retirement age of
60.

“Let him go and let us try a new
hand. I do not support the idea of reappointing him, after all, he
has not lived up to our expectation as far as protection of lives
and properties is concerned.”

‘New IGP May Not Be Better Than Idris’

Nze Theo Iwumba Ohadiukwu,
ex-councillor and member Labour Party (LP), in his response, asked:
“If a new IGP is appointed, what is the guarantee that he will not
dance to the tune of those who appointed him?”

‘Security Situation Will Worsen If Idris Continues
In Office’

Okwudiri Josiah, a public health
worker, stated: “It is natural for the opposition PDP to, out of
fears or doubts that he would be biased or even aid in rigging next
year’s elections, ask President Buhari not to renew the appointment
of Idris. There is the saying that, ‘He who pays the piper,
dictates the tune’. The Federal Government will naturally dictate
what the IGP will do in 2019. Let me put it this way, IGP Idris has
enjoyed power in the last four years after allegedly betraying or
sabotaging the then President Goodluck Jonathan’s PDP
administration to work for the opposition APC.

“Idris was believed to have rigged
the election when he was not even the IGP. Nigerians believe that
he was promoted beyond his rank as a reward. As a result of this,
several senior police officers were sacrificed through forceful
retirement just to pave way for him to climb to the top echelon of
the Police Force. This is because of the job APC used him to
execute as than State Police Commissioner in Kano State.

“The question of fears being
expressed by the PDP and many Nigerians about possible renewal of
the IGP’s tenure is a genuine concern because many believe that
Idris is not very good in his job. My worry is that the security
situation will be worst if he continue in office.

“Check out the rate of killings of
innocent Nigerians, not by Boko Haram, but through other forms of
crimes or civil related crimes today compared to the previous
years. Check out the number of policemen that have died in the past
three years alone compared to the years past.

“When former President Goodluck
Jonathan made the declaration that his political ambition was not
worth the blood of any Nigerian, many people, including me, saw
wisdom in what he was saying. Today, he is being celebrated world
over as a hero of democracy.

“But, what this government is doing
is beginning to send fears that they were not prepared to quit if
the outcome of the election is not in their favour. So, I don’t
think it will be out of place concluding that IGP has exhausted all
that he has in his thinking box if he has any. Now, he is being
deliberately kept by President Buhari to help them execute the 2019
general elections, no matter what it takes to do that.

“Again, President Buhari came in as
‘Mr. Integrity’ because of what many Nigerians believed about his
person. But, what we are witnessing today is direct opposite of all
the good things that were said about him. For instance, Nigerians
were told that work had gone far on the Second Niger Bridge. But,
it turned out to be one of the lies or propaganda by the APC
government to further deceive Nigerians ahead of the coming
elections. That is why Nigerians today no longer believe in the
sincerity of Buhari they used to know.

“If you are talking about
corruption, I tell you it is more pronounced under this Buhari
administration than any other. How much is our foreign debt profile
as a country? How much is our foreign reserves? How much of
professional training, I mean training to be civil and unbiased on
the line of duty, does Nigerian police of today has? I can go on
and on. The entire system has fallen short of the expectations of
Nigerians. That is why I am not supporting renewal of his tenure as
the Inspector General of Police (IGP).”

APP Takes Buhari, PSC, Others To Court

Action Peoples Party (APP) has sued
President Buhari, Police Service Commission (PSC) to the Federal
High Court, Abuja, urging it to declare that “any person or an
officer of the Nigeria Police Force, who has attained the
retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of service cannot be deemed
to be a serving member of the Nigeria Police Force, for the
purposes of being appointed or re-appointed by President Muhammadu
Buhari, as an Inspector General of Police.”

IGP-Idris and other defendants in
the suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/1570/2018, include the Nigeria Police Force
and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Kpotun
Idris. The first National Spokesman of Coalition of United
Political Parties, CUPP, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, made the copy of
the court process available to newsmen, during a press conference
in Owerri.

According to the court process, the
plaintiff prayed the court to declare that upon the attainment of
the mandatory retirement age of 60 years of service in the police
by January 3, 2019, Idris cannot be deemed or taken to be a serving
member of the Nigeria Police Force.

The other prayers sought by the
plaintiff included: “A declaration that the fourth defendant (Mr.
Idris), being due for statutory retirement by January 3, 2019, when
he would have attained 60 years, is due to immediately proceed on
one month pre-retirement leave.

“An order of court, directing and
compelling the fourth defendant (Idris) to immediately proceed on
one month pre-retirement leave forthwith.

“An order of perpetual injunction,
restraining the first defendant (Buhari), from further
re-appointing or in any other way, extending the tenure of the
fourth defendant (Idris) in office, as the Inspector General of the
Nigeria Police Force.”

Explaining why the opposition
approached the court, Ugochinyere said that extending the IGP’s
tenure, after reaching the constitutional retirement age, “is a
violation of the Constitution.”

He added: “The plot to retain the
IGP after retirement is Buhari/APC last minute desperate attempt to
politicise the Police Force and use security forces to thwart the
electoral will of Nigerians.”