The appointment of the next Inspector-General of Police (IGP) is said to be pitting Aso Rock Villa or Presidency kingmakers against one another.
According to inquiries, the Attorney-General of the Federation (A-G), National Security Adviser (NSA), Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), and a few key officials at the Presidency are at the core of the scandal.
Last month, the current IGP, Mohammed Adamu, was set to officially retire (February 2 to be specific).
The Presidency, on the other hand, prolonged his term by three months. If his term ends after three months in May 2021, a new IGP will be named or confirmed to take his place.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Moses Jutoboh of Bayelsa State, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Dasuki Galanchi of Kano State, and Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Ciroma of Yobe State are among those in the running for the job, according to our discreet tests.
When the Police Service Commission (PSC) meets next month, Ciroma is expected to be promoted to the rank of AIG.
According to reliable sources close to Aso Rock, he is the Attorney General’s pick. Our source also revealed that the Attorney General nominated Ciroma for the chairmanship of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last year, but he narrowly missed out.
The A-G is said to be placing a lot of pressure on him to get the job as IGP.
Other Aso Rock residents, however, are said to be opposing Ciroma’s decision. They are said to be accusing the A-G of wielding undue power and control over national issues, especially security issues. He is said to have influenced the current EFCC chairman’s selection.
Jutiboh and Dasuki are preferred by the NSA, Chief of Staff, and some officials in the White House.
A revered Kano ruler and some of the region’s top politicians are said to have made a strong case for Galanchi.
Other Aso Rock chiefs, on the other hand, are said to be unhappy with his choice because the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Gambo, hails from Kano State.
“It will cause controversy if the CNS and the next IGP are from the state. It may create disloyalty to the new IG by some officers from other regions,” a source opined.
AIG Galandanchi and Chiroma were formally, legally, and theoretically unqualified as of March 4 this year, as stipulated in Section 7 (6) of the Police Act 2020, which states that any officer seeking to be named IGP must have at least four years of service.
DIG Moses Jitoboh is the only eligible officer with more than four years of service if the Presidency refuses to bend the Act or extend regional sentiments.
On February 23, this year, he was promoted to DIG. In December 2020, Dasuki was promoted to AIG. Dasuki and Jutiboh have both attended the National Institute of Strategic Studies (NIPSS), which is one of the requirements for being appointed as IGP. Dasuki graduated from NIPSS in November of last year.
Around 18 AIGs and six DIGs will be forced to retire if Dasuki is named. In the AIG cadre, he is number 19 in seniority.
If CP Ciroma is named IGP after the Police Commission rushes him to AIG rank next month, about 28 AIGs will be forced to retire because they are his seniors.
Former IGP Mike Okiro and retired DIG Yakubu Mohammed reportedly advised President Buhari not to name a junior officer as IGP in November 2020. According to them, such an appointment might suffocate professionalism and anyone who would be forced to leave would undoubtedly have more years on the job, compounding any issues that could arise in the future.
They also believed that some of those who might be pushed out have the skills and expertise required to move the force forward. They went on to say that those who may be promoted to replace them will not be patriotic because they feel they will be forced to withdraw until the new IGP leaves.
(THE GAZETTE)
