How The Retirement Age Of IGP Ibrahim K. Idris Was Tampered: Details, Others Coming Soon —Intersociety

Chima Ubani Centre, Onitsha Nigeria: 11^th
January 2019)-Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of
Law is back to the trenches! In the immortal words of
Less Brown, “sometimes it is better to remain
silent for the purpose of strategic observation and critical and
informed analysis of topical social happenings; at other times, it
is better to speak out and clear a doubt or controversy than to
remain silent and thought to be a fool, won or defeated”.

Intersociety has spent past two weeks of the
Xmas and New Year holiday; following, observing, assessing and
analyzing topical events across the country. The two weeks break
also involved consultations with and paying of homage to positive
forces in the cosmic and physical worlds for their continuing
guidance and blessings in furtherance of our resolve to selflessly
and pricelessly contribute positively, formidably and meaningfully
for betterment of the Nigerian society and beyond.

Tampering of Ibrahim Idris’ Retirement Age

During the two weeks break, too, Intersociety
received barrage of calls from well meaning and concerned Nigerians
within and beyond concerning topical issues that cropped up;
seeking to know our informed or analytical position over same.
Topical among them is the controversy over the actual retirement
date or age of the out-gone Inspector Gen of Police, Ibrahim Kpotum
Idris.

It is recalled that Intersociety had on
13^th December 2018 issued a public statement exclusively
reminding all Nigerians and members of the int’l community that
then outgoing IGP was billed to retire statutorily on
3^rd Jan 2019 following his attainment of 35yrs of
service in accordance with relevant provisions of the laws and
other regulations in Nigeria including “the Senior Staff List for
Police CSP-IGP” and the Public/Civil Service Rules of the
Federation.

While the “Senior Staff List” is updated monthly by the Force
Headquarters and office of the Police Service Commission and sent
to CPs, AIGs, DIGs and IGP; the officers’ dates of birth,
enlistment and retirement as well as their names (surname and other
names), States and Local Governments of origin and NPF appointment
numbers remain intact or unchanged. Areas that attract changes
include dates of officers’ last promotion and new postings (current
posting and date of posting) and additional academic qualifications
(educational qualification and discipline).

As we clearly and correctly stated in the referenced statement,
the out-gone IGP was originally born on 3^rd Jan 1959 in
Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State, North-central Nigeria
and enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on 31^st
December 1984. He was promoted to CP in 2011 and made AIG in later
part of 2015 after the 2015 general polls. He later became AIG in
charge of Federal Operations from where he was appointed IGP on
21^st June 2016. By virtue of his age or date of birth,
he had already retired on 3^rd Jan 2019 having attained
35yrs in service as “sworn and serving officer of the Nigeria
Police Force”.

By the rules guiding public servants in Nigeria, retirement
comes in one of the following two ways: attainment of 35yrs in
service or 60yrs of age; whichever that comes first or if both come
simultaneously. Therefore, our position on this remains irrevocable
with more details to be given in coming days. It must also be
stated clearly and boldly that Intersociety as a
thorough-bred independent, research and investigative rights
campaigner, has never been credibly faulted in all our advocacy
positions taken since we came on stream in 2008.

As stated in the referenced statement, we are not unaware of
sponsored campaigns for the illegal and unconstitutional extension
of the tenure of the already retired IGP. Jaundiced and procured
opinions including newspaper columns and editorials have already
been let loose. Some have even gone to the extent of citing past
dictatorial precedents of unconstitutional extension of tenure of
certain former IGPs as justification to turn our laws upside
down.

Same bad precedents were cited and relied upon to appoint
retired military and SSS personnel to head the Customs and SSS
Services. Under the present central Government of Nigeria, the
Chairman of EFCC has remained in “acting capacity” for over three
years without senatorial confirmation or his replacement if
legislatively rejected; meaning that tomorrow such dangerous and
bad precedent will be relied upon as “appointment criterion in
Nigeria”. The Buhari/Osinbajo Government must be reminded that
auxiliary or discretional legal provision can never take precedent
or override its mother or substantive provision. Out-gone IGP,
therefore, must be duly retired both as a matter of law and
administrative policy.

82-page Special Report on Military Massacre Operations in
Eastern Nigeria

During the two weeks break, Intersociety read,
followed and analyzed statements and body languages of selected
Southeast political actors including Southeast Govs, principal
federal legislators from the Region and Govs William Obiano and
Dave Umahi of Anambra and Ebonyi States as well as other proponents
of “Buharism”  from the Region on “how Buhari loved the Igbo
Nation with trailer-load of achievements and executed federal
projects in the Region; among them “Second Niger Bridge and
completion of Zik’s Mausoleum”.

It must be placed on irrefutable record that the Second Niger
Bridge project is still less than 30% completed, having been
started by the past federal administration but abruptly suspended
by the present Administration and belatedly restarted with
presently less than 30% completed. Intersociety’s
secretariat is located less than two kilometers away from
the construction site of the bridge; making us to be in know of the
pace and stage of work on the site. In the area of Zik’s Mausoleum,
it is minutely insignificant and represents no single relevance to
the collective interest and welfare of the People of the Igbo
Nation particularly in the present circumstances.

Apart from the fact that such claims are grossly mired in
bogusness, falsehood, propaganda, parochialism, mercantilism and
chronic selfishness; they are also in gross contradiction with
facts on the ground as empirically or factually contained in the
referenced special report (socio-political consequences of the
military massacre operations in Eastern Nigeria).

For instance, it is factually found by the special report that:
(1) Southeast Region of Nigeria has perpetually remained under
Buhari’s army of occupation or military siege since August 2015,
(2) over 95% of commanding officers of the military formations in
Southeast Region and Delta State are Northern Muslim officers and
other non-Igbo officers; likewise top Police and SSS commanders
including Commissioners of Police for Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu
and Delta States and Directors of SSS for Anambra, Enugu, Imo,
Ebonyi and Abia States as well as the AIG in charge of Zone 9,
Umuahia.

(3) Southeast Region and Delta State lost not less than N336b in
the past 40 months (August 2015 to December 2018) owing to police
and military insecurity and corruption and general disruption of
the economic activities of the Region on account of the military
massacre operations and their aftermath, (4) Out of the whopping
N336b lost, N100b was lost to police, military and paramilitary
extortions in 40 months (August 2015-December 2018)

(5) Total of over 480 defenseless citizens were shot and killed
under non war situations and outside the law by military and police
personnel between 30^th August 2015 and 14^th
September 2017 on orders of the Buhari/Osinbajo’s Presidency, (6)
Over 500 defenseless citizens were also shot at close range and
critically injured during the military massacre operations in the
Igbo heartland (Southeast and Igbo South-south) with scores
crippled for life, (7) Other atrocities of national, regional and
international law breaches were also perpetrated in the Region
during the military massacre operations; with no single perpetrator
arrested, tried and sentenced till date.

(8) Southeast Region is a major, if not perpetual victim of the
Buhari/Osinbajo Administration’s victimization, persecution and
structural violence policies; including being the only Region
without a security service chief, with least number in the command
structures of the Nigeria Police Force and the Military and least
recipient of strategic federal appointments and federally allocated
or executed projects, etc, (9) Southeast Region is the most
potentially endangered Region in Nigeria owing to infiltration of
strategic parts of the Region including communal forests and
boundary and other strategic outlets by government backed jihadist
elements using military operations and networks as a cover. In
coming days, Intersociety shall speak more on
these using the special report as a case study.

Visionless Presidential Campaign & Failure to take Governance
back to the People

The two weeks break further offered
Intersociety through its Democracy and
Good Governance Program an opportunity to critically
assess the campaigns run so far by those seeking to be elected in
the February/March 2019 general polls in Nigeria particularly in
the presidential poll. The presidential campaigns run so far are
utterly disappointing, lacking an inkling of vision and mission.
The campaigns are also elitist and mechanical; lacking fundamental
ingredients of “peopling governance or democracy”.

The campaigns are generally and fundamentally non issues based,
anti growth, anti development, unpopular, anti people, unprepared,
loquacious, parochial; chronically selfish or mercantilist and
ethno-religiously divisive. In other words, APC with trailer-load
of failure in the past 31 months or since June 2015 has no single
remedial blue print; likewise the PDP with no credible and
empirical study and identification of APC’s sectoral and
sub-sectoral failures; and blue prints or policy directions on how
to rescue the country from such chronic shackles and manacles.
Intersociety shall speak more on these in coming
days.

Signed

For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law

Emeka Umeagbalasi and Obianuju  Igboeli,
Esq.

Contacts:

Mobile Line: +2348174090052

Email: info@intersociety-ng.org^[1]

Website: www.intersociety-ng.org^[2]