By Enyeribe Ejiogu
A public analyst, Bala Ibrahim, has debunked a media report which claimed that certain cadre of police officers, working through an agent, used inducements to secure postings to supposedly lucrative state commands.
Refuting the claim in a statement made available to Sunday Sun via email, Ibrahim, said the news report with the title, ‘Money-for-posting racket rocks police’ and published by our sister paper, Saturday Sun, yesterday, denigrated the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who he described as a transparent and focused leader who has “engendered unprecedented transformations in a police force that was hitherto a source of repugnance to the Nigerian populace,” in the one year he has been at the helm of affairs of the Nigeria Police Force.
Contrary to the allegations that transfer of police officers to strategic positions were motivated by a force external to the Police, the analyst stressed that “merit, demonstrable competence and clear ability to discharge responsibilities” were the key and strategic considerations paramount to the posting of police officers to various commands and headship of specialized operational units.
It was stated in the report that a certain Barrister Emma who had ‘unhindered access’ to the office of the IGP, facilitated the desired postings. Ibrahim poured cold water on this claim saying that nothing could be farther from the truth. He portrayed the IGP as a man who is approachable by anybody who has genuine need to see him.
He explained further: “It is not a hidden fact that the IGP, as a public servant, has friends across all ethnic, religious and professional backgrounds in Nigeria and beyond, yet he is not the kind to be unnecessarily influenced by anyone in his official duties. Beyond that, he is so easily accessible that he could be reached without much hindrance. Barrister Emma and any other person in any official capacity, could get to talk to him to clarify any knotty issue that may require clarification.
“He is also open to receive worthy petitions against anyone. He is not the type to take lightly any substantive petition against anyone in Nigeria, no matter how highly placed, and no matter how close.
“So far, means through which misconducts, crimes and misdemeanors could be reported directly to police authority in Nigeria have increased since the coming of Ibrahim Idris as IGP, and responses to such reports or petitions are designed to be rapid and thorough.
“If such allegations as the one in question are genuine, any of the available ways of lodging petitions could have been used, and the IGP encourages Nigerians to utilise them properly, as they are capable of assisting the police in arresting misconduct in the force. Aside the various telephone access that citizens have to all the police commissioners in all the 36 states of Nigeria as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, there is also the Police Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU) which the IGP designed to effectively bring the public into the fight against police professional misconduct.”