Task before new IGP Baba

 

Last Tuesday, April 6, 2021, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), appointed Usman Alkali Baba from Yobe State as the new acting Inspector-General of Police. He is the 21st indigenous police officer to be so appointed. He took over from Mohammed Adamu.  Baba, who has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, served as acting Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of the Department of Finance and Administration. He was also Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone-5 Benin; Zone 4 Makurdi and Zone 7 Abuja. He was also a former Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory and Delta Commands amongst other appointments. Until his recent appointment as the acting IGP, he was the Force Secretary.

I had expected that for equity, justice and fairness, someone from the Igbo extraction would be named the next police boss after the ethnic group was not represented when the new service chiefs were appointed on January 26, 2021. Recall that Section 14 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is emphatic about the need to observe the federal character principle in the appointment and citing of projects. The new Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Leo Irabor is from Delta State in the South-South geopolitical zone.  The new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, is from Kaduna State, while the new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo is from Kano. Both states are in the North-West geopolitical zone. The Chief of Air Staff, Air-Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Amao, is from Osogbo in Osun State, which is in the South-West.

This scenario was what similarly played out with the immediate past service chiefs. The former Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, hails from Ekiti State (SW); ex-Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, Borno State (NE); ex-Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas, Cross River State (S-S) and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Bauchi State (NE).  While it may be true that Northern and Southern Nigeria got two positions apiece, however, it is not right to exclude a major ethnic group like the Igbo in the country’s security architecture.

My thought about the breach of the federal character principle was echoed by the legal luminary and firebrand activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome, who last Wednesday described the appointment of the new acting Inspector General of Police as illegal and unconstitutional. Ozekhome contended that Baba’s appointment negated provisions of Federal Character as enshrined in the 1999 constitution, as amended. He stated this in a statement titled, “Buhari’s Northernisation of Nigeria Police.”

Ozekhome said the President lacks the power to single-handedly appoint an IGP. He argued that by Sections 7(6) and 18(8) of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, in addition to the clear provisions of Sections 214, 215 and 216 and paragraph 7 to the 3rd Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, “the President cannot single-handedly appoint an IGP, as he has again unconstitutionally and illegally done.” He said the President can only appoint an IGP in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Council comprising Mr. President as chairman, all the 36 state governors, the chairman of the Police Service Commission and the IGP. He argued the appointment of Baba, as the new acting IGP “is capricious, arbitrary, whimsical, unconscionable, illegal, unlawful, wrongful and unconstitutional.” The Senior Advocate wondered why the President chose to ignore and disrespect the Federal Character principle enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

On his part, the immediate past Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, also a Professor of Law, Chidi Odinkalu, tweeted last week Tuesday thus: “#Nigeria’s President is in exile. The Police Act, 2020, doesn’t recognise Acting Inspector-General of @PoliceNG. The Constitution requires Police Council to advise on appointment of IGP. They have not met. The Police Affairs Minister has no powers in the process. #Impunity”

Well, say what you may, Baba has assumed duty as the new Inspector General of Police. He came into the saddle when morale in the police was very low and crime and criminality skyrocketing. There are increasing incidents of banditry, insurgency, herders-farmers clashes, cultism, vandalism, militancy, kidnapping, Internet scam, rape and drug abuse to mention a few. Thus, the new police boss has his work cut out for him. The new IGP after being decorated with his new insignia of office by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, told State House correspondents about his agenda in the next two years when he is expected to retire. First, he said he would build on the successes of his predecessor, by rejigging the operational strategies of the police and that with the support of the President, the police would acquire new gadgets that would enhance their efficiency. He also stressed the need for support and cooperation from the public. He promised to strengthen the community policing system of the country and seek robust collaboration with other sister security agencies

I wish Baba a successful tenure. Indeed, unease lies on the head that wears the crown. As the saying goes, to who much is given, from him, much is expected. All eyes are on the acting Inspector General of Police to significantly improve on the safety and security of the country. Baba needs to forge a harmonious working relationship with the Police Service Commission, Police Equipment Trust Fund, the Ministry of Police Affairs and the police council.

Recall that the immediate past IGP, Adamu, was at loggerheads with the Musiliu Smith-led Police Service Commission. The Court of Appeal in Abuja had on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 nullified the recruitment of 10,000 constables carried out in 2019. A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Olabisi Ige unanimously held that the IGP lacks the power to recruit constables for the police force. The court held that the power to carry out the recruitment was exclusively that of the Police Service Commission. The judgment upturned the December 2, 2019 verdict of the Federal High Court in Abuja which had validated the power of the IGP to proceed with the recruitment embarked upon in 2019. The PSC, in a superiority battle with the IGP, had in September 2019, instituted the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2019, in its bid to gain the exclusive right to conduct the recruitment process which the NPF and the IGP, had as of that time, almost concluded. This faceoff which has stalled the appointment of the 10,000 personnel has impacted negatively on the operational efficiency of the police.

One of the recent positive developments with the Nigeria Police was the establishment of the Police Equipment Trust Fund in 2019 and the inauguration of the Board of Trustees last May.  Former Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, was appointed chairman of the board. It is believed that this interventionist agency will be able to improve funding of the police with provisioning of operational materials including sophisticated equipment. Technology-driven policing is the norm now.  The new IGP should do well to ensure prompt submission of the laundry list of items needed to improve operational efficiency.

One of the challenges Baba has to rise up to is how to improve police public relations. Recall that it was the barbarity of some members of the police that led to the #EndSARS protests of last October where police lost 37 officers and men, with about 196 injured, police vehicles destroyed and 134 police stations burnt. Thus, Baba must do his best to avert another police-targeted violent protests. The Special Weapons and Tactics Team formed to replace the discredited SARS must be above board.  Police under him must be civil, cautious, friendly, incorruptible, and professional. Any erring policeman or woman caught being involved in professional misconduct such as extra-judicial killing, extortion or any act of human rights abuse must be promptly dealt with according to police service regulations. On the other hand, the welfare and wellbeing of officers and men of police must be enhanced.

No matter how proficient and resourceful the police may be, they need to have robust working relationship with ot her security agencies and indeed the military. The police need to partner Department of State Services, Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, the army, Navy, Air Force and indeed paramilitary agencies like the Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Immigration Service, Federal Road Safety Corps and Fire Service. There must be shared intelligence in order to boost the success rate of the Nigerian security sector. In a bid to strengthen its community policing procedure, there is also need for the police to partner the various state security initiatives. In 2019, the South-West state governors set up a security network codenamed Amotekun, last Sunday, the South-East governors also launched Ebube Agu meaning “fear of a lion” in Igbo. The police should endeavour to partner these security outfits including the local vigilantes and the hunters’ groups.