Nigerians will never forget music maestro Fela Anikulapo Kuti. When events develop in the country, there will always be fitting lyrics from the works of this controversial musician.
Currently, an unnecessary row is being built round a police career chief, who, in any sane society, would as of merit and indeed, right, rise to the top of his career and bow out officially into a fitting retirement.
However, this is Nigeria where rules and regulations will always be twisted to attain particular ends. In his days, such double standard is what Fela Anikulapo Kuti would contemptuously describe as “baba nla nonsense” (i.e. big time unacceptable nonsense).
Not long ago, the new Governor of Central Bank, Lamido Sanusi was the target for series of agitation, intimidation and blackmail in a vain attempt to deny him his well-merited appointment.

Today, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Onovo is the target just like Lamido Sanusi, in an attempt to portray him (Onovo) as undeserving (for) the post of Inspector-General. Quite noticeably, the tactics have been very subtle. The latest is that DIG Onovo never held any high profile command post. Very ridiculous. In the police force? How did he then rise to the post of number two?
Ordinarily, we should just dismiss such argument but the message will not get down without the details. Put bluntly, we either have a standard for the whole country or we have no standard at all but we cannot have and will not accept two standards and apply one when it suits our purpose. Furthermore, it is necessary to put it on record in case of a reverse posture in the future to enhance the prospects of a favoured one.

It is untenable that Onovo never held a high command post. But if that is an argument, then we must remind ourselves. In Onovo’s case, at least, he is not just a full time career officer but also went through the ranks earning promotion all the way through personal merit.
The Customs Department is not just a para-military set up but also a law enforcement and security agency. Mohammed Bello, the current deputy national chairman of People’s Democratic Party (North) is a professional veterinary doctor. Not many observers may easily recall that Mohammed Haliru Bello is a retired Comptroller-General of Customs, equivalent of Police Inspector-General.
If police Deputy Inspector-General Onovo is now being devalued so as to be denied appointment as Inspector-General, where and when did Mohammed Bello serve in the Customs department before he was appointed Comptroller-General? Which high profile command posts did he hold? And why was there no controversy?

High profile command in para-military forces like the police and Customs? Such do not come about routinely without lobbying or cringing. Even if a man with self-pride joins in cringing (which is unlikely) there is only limited number of choice postings to be filled.
In the Customs for example, choice command posts are Commandant Apapa Ports, Commandant Tin Can Island Ports, Commandant Murtala Mohammed Ports, Commandant Seme Border etc. The same applies in police command posts. You cannot get any without belonging to the caucus or connection through somebody to the high up. Our problem is hypocrisy, with everybody pretending ignorance of these things.

Why for example are grumblings about some ministries being very choice and therefore must go round the whole country? We should stop deceiving ourselves.
Therefore, was Onovo given the so-called high command posting and he failed? The fact that others got the high-profile command should not mean they are more competent. If the man (Onovo) has any bad or indeed poor service record, that should be a reason to by-pass him for the highest post in the police force. In the absence of such, he should merit his due.

Who fits the post of Inspector-General than those who went through the ranks? Any police officer can occupy only one high profile command at a time. It is impossible for one officer to head NDLEA and anti-fraud unit at the same time.
There is no doubt that the police anti-fraud unit deals with gangsters. But that does not make NDLEA a softer posting. Instead, NDLEA is a cemetery for any officer in the light of sound reasons being overlooked. First, NDLEA is the most deadly because the agency hunts not just drug traffickers but any officer there, indeed, in similar posts all over the world, is everyday, target for assassination by drug barons.
Why for example, were attempts made to assassinate Dora Akunyili as head of NAFDAC? It is more risky and more demanding for the head of NDLEA because he is dealing with criminal mafia.

Then, as head of NDLEA, there is ever the temptation of offer of bribes in local and foreign currencies. Some past heads of NDLEA also converted to personal use various exhibits seized from drug accused. Instead, DIG Onovo today remains one of the few (repeat few) who left NDLEA unstained with his personal and professional reputation intact. Others were mostly dismissed and later prosecuted.
And such an enviable record is being ridiculed? Do we have any value in this country? The very idea of denying official personal merit in public positions kills, demoralizes and provokes society.

Then, there is this not too clever reason of imminent retirement cited when convenient to deny appointment to those who merit. Even if a man’s promotion or appointment is to last for six months, that is not just his luck but also his right.
Last time, Umaru Yar’Adua cited this spurious reason for not appointing Jimmy Atte as Director-General of NTA. Instead, the man had to retire prematurely. Such lame excuse may also be cited against Onovo.

In which case, what is Nigeria’s record? What do the regulations provide? How long did Amma Pepple serve as head of Federal Civil Service? Barely a year, but certainly not one hundred years. How long did Ahmed Yayale’s predecessor as head of service serve? One thousand years? It was therefore wrong to have denied Jimmy Atte his due as Director-General of NTA.
The late Ayo Irikefe was appointed Chief Justice of the Federation only nine months before official retirement. Alfa Belgore also served for only one year as Chief Justice of Nigeria and duly retired.
It should, therefore, not be a handicap that Onovo is due for retirement more so as he has more than one year before then. In the interest of everybody, justice must be done.

By the way, there is this problem of introducing ethnicity when arguing these matters and for this, every section is guilty. Last time, out-going Central Bank Governor, Chukwuma Soludo was accused of pursuing monetary policy deliberately to throw northerners out of business. That alone won him some sympathy from some quarters.
The truth was that there were outstanding economists in South East, South West and South South who publicly faulted Soludo’s monetary policy as against national interest and not necessarily against the North.
Equally, some self-assumed sympathizers of D.I.G. Onovo specifically from South East are being tactless in arguing his case from the ethnic angle. This is self-defeating. Onovo’s plight could affect any non-South easterner in the police forth and that is why the man’s case should be discussed on his status as a Nigerian police officer rather than an opportunity or a chance for a South-easterner.
Chikena.