There is growing disquiet within the Nigeria Police Force over the seeming plan to use the newly passed law to extend the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in office, Daily Trust reports.
Stakeholders within the security circle spoken to said extending the IGP’s tenure beyond what was already stipulated before the law was passed would destroy the system in policing institutions.
They said apart from bringing stagnation for other officers in the force, the internal security would be in jeopardy, arguing that security architecture needs constant rejigging.
According to them, for IGP to stay beyond his normal time would also portray him as desperate, and may dent his image and reputation.
Daily Trust can confirm that already, some members of the Force management team have proceeded on pre-retirement leave.
One of them is the Force Secretary, Mrs Yetunde Longe, who retired as an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) after clocking 60 years in service.
It would be recalled that the immediate-past president, Muhammadu Buhari, extended the tenure of two IGPs after reaching the statutory retirement age.
The act of the former president of extending the tenure of the two IGPs – Mohammed Adamu and Usman Baba – had since to litigations.
The Nigerian Senate in July passed the Police Act Amendment Bill, 2024, to guarantee a four-year tenure of office for new IGP without any public hearing as it should be.
Checks by our correspondent showed that the bill was tabled for the first time on the floor of the Senate on July 23, 2024, and it was passed for first, second and third reading barely one week after, July 31st, 2024, precisely during the Senate’s emergency session.
The controversial amendment, which is generating outrage, was the inclusion of Section 18(8A) by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Section 18(8) of the Police Act states that: “Every police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment, serve in the Nigeria Police Force for a period of 35 years or until he attains the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier”.
Part 111 Section 7 (6) of the Act, which repealed the Police Act Cap. P19, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, prescribed a four-year single tenure for a person appointed to the office of the IGP subject to the provisions of clause 18 (8).
But Section 18(8A) of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 was amended as follows:
“Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (8) of this section, any person appointed to the office of Inspector-General of Police shall remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment in line with the provisions of Section 7(6) of this Act.”
In a lead debate in the Senate during the emergency session, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) said the law would modernise policing in the country.
The new law enables a sitting President to retain an IGP after serving for either 35 years or attaining 60 years.
The law ties the tenure of any IGP to the four-year term of his or her appointment as stipulated in the letter given to him or her by the President.
However, findings by our correspondent during the weekend showed that the IGP, Egbetokun, who will clock 60 on September 4, 2024, is yet to proceed to pre-retirement as a normal tradition in the force.
“The consensus of the top echelon of the police is that the IGP shouldn’t benefit from the amendment at the twilight of his tenure. A law shouldn’t be for an individual but for society.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should uphold the retirement conditions in the NPF as the case with the Judiciary.
“We should not encourage sit-tight syndrome. Our officers believe it is morally indefensible and a bad precedent for the police force for IGP Egbetokun to earn extension of tenure of two years and seven months from September 4th.
“The NPF will become more politicised. Most officers are feeling bad that it will lead to a career growth stunt,” the highly-placed official told Daily Trust.
Bill passage without public hearing undemocratic – RULAAC
Meanwhile, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has lambasted the National Assembly for passing the bill
In an interview with Daily Trust last night, the Executive Director of the organization, Okechukwu Nwanguma, maintained that their act showed that they are undemocratic.
“The lack of transparency and accountability in the passage of the bill implies that the government does not value the opinions of the people and lacks transparency in its decision-making process.”
On his part, a security expert, Abdullahi Garba, said, “I will only appeal that the president should not sign that bill into law. It will weaken the police institution and dent the image of the IGP,” he said.
(Daily trust)
