• We don’t favour any zone, says PSC
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun and Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Hashimu Argungu, are on the spot for undermining the Police Act 2020 in deploying Commissioners of Police to state commands.
The Police Act 2020 provides that the PSC Chairman or the IGP have the powers to appoint and deploy Commissioners of Police to state commands.
Part IV 12 (2) of the Act stipulates: “The Police Service Commission shall, from among the Commissioners of Police (CPs) appointed under subsection (I) assign Commissioners of Police to state commands and to the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT).”
Part IV 12 (4) stipulates: “The Police Service Commission or the Inspector-General of Police in assigning or deploying, as the case may be, Commissioners of Police under this Section to State Commands , Departments or Units, shall reflect the principle of Federal Character as provided in the Constitution and under the relevant Act.”
Federal Character mentioned in the Police Act presupposes that all states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) shall produce one Commissioner of police in charge of state command each.
This means that South West and South South ought to have six CPs each, reflecting the number of states in the zones, while South East should have five CPs manning state commands. The North, with 19 states ought to have 19 CPs in charge of state commands.
But in total disregard to the rules and regulations of the Police Act, regarding deployment of CPs to state commands, the IGP and PSC have wittingly or unwittingly marginalised the South East and South South geopolitical zones and favoured South West and the North.
Daily Sun gathered that 10 serving commissioners of police in charge of state commands are from South West. They include CPs in charge of Rivers, Delta, Lagos, FCT, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Cross River and Plateau states.
Findings reveal that two CPs in charge of state commands are from South South, while only one CP is from South East. Twenty-three CPs from the North are heading state commands.
The marginalization of the South East and South South, Daily Sun gathered, is arousing tension in the police.
A retired police officer, who pleaded anonymity, said that each of the 36 states and the FCT should produce a CP in charge of state commands.
“Where each state does not produce a CP manning state command at any given time, it is a violation of the Police Act.”
Another retired AIG told Daily Sun that,” no commissioner from South East has ever served in Lagos or Kano state respectively, but CPs from the North and Southwest have been serving in the South East. It was during the time of former IGP Mike Okiro that he tried to break the jinx as he sent retired AIG, Donald Iroham from Imo state, while he was a CP to Lagos state, but on his way to take over as Lagos state CP that he received a phone call that he should not step his feet to the Lagos state police command. He was redeployed to Kwara state. The marginalisation of South East and South South has been happening for decades”.
Meanwhile, PSC Public Relations Officer, Ikechukwu Ani,said the story is not true as appointment and the posting of state Commissioners of police is dynamic, there comes a time the posting will favour a particular region. For instance, the South East has two Deputy Inspector General of Police presently while other regions have one each. Why should someone accuse the PSC of marginalisation? The posting of CP is not done by seniority. The IGP is the head of operations, so, when there is a vacancy, the IGP as the head of operations knows who among the CPs can take charge of the state effectively.
“The posting of CPs is dynamic, very soon there will be posting because some of the CPs will be retiring and when they retire, the IGP will send some names to the PSC for confirmation and the next appointment may favour the South East or South South. There is no marginalisation but the IGP knows who can man a certain state. He knows the capacity of every CP working under him, so he knows where to post them.”