•Commission under fire as aggrieved officers protest procedureFrom MURPHY GANAGANA, Abuja
Friday February 24, 2012
Friday February 24, 2012
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Barely 24 hours after the appointments of seven Deputy Inspectors-General (DIGs) and 13 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs), aggrieved senior officers have turned the heat on the Police Service Commission (PSC) over the criteria adopted for the exercise.
They accused the PSC of procedural irregularities and under-hand dealings.
Daily Sun checks indicated that unless urgent measures were taken to remedy the situation, the brewing anger, frustration and confusion precipitated by the promotions announced on Wednesday by the PSC, might jeopardize efforts by the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, at building a cohesive, disciplined and efficient police force.
Deep gullies of bad blood are already forming within the top hierarchy of the force, as some visibly angry brass hats within the ranks of AIG and Commissioner of Police [CP], alleged an untidy handling of the exercise by the PSC.
They are demanding explanations from the commission on the criteria used for the promotions especially to the rank of DIG, in which five CPs emerged as beneficiaries ahead of their seniors on the ranks of AIG. The seven new DIGs are Suleiman Fakai, Atiku Kafur, Emmanuel Udeoji, Haruna John, Peter Gana, Marvel Akpoyibo, and Abdurahaman Akano.
However, among the beneficiaries, only the appointments of Fakai and Udeoji did not raise dust. Until their elevations on Wednesday, Fakai was the most senior AIG while Udeoji, who was number four in seniority on the Staff List for Commissioners, was the most senior CP from the South-East.
Though junior to AIG Ephraim Amakulor, who hails from Umuahia South in Abia State and presently in charge of the Zone 8 command with headquarters in Lokoja, Udeoji might have been picked as a DIG, since Amakulor is expected to statutorily disengage from service on May 17, this year.
Daily Sun learnt that though representations from the six geo-political zones of the country, seniority and good record of service, without a pending disciplinary matter [PDM], were top on the criteria for promotion of officers to DIG and AIG, the appointment of four CPs to the rank of DIG has generated serious crisis.
In the North-east zone for instance, some senior officers are protesting the emergence of Haruna John, a CP as DIG, ahead of four serving AIGs from his zone including Abubakar Mohammed, Ibrahim Ahmed, Saidu Daya and Bukar Maina.
Sources said his elevation over Mohammed and Ahmed was normal since both were due for retirement by the end of this month, but AIGs Daya and Maina would remain in service till February and June, 2013 respectively, just as Haruna who until his elevation, was 18th on the seniority list of CPs, and is also scheduled to retire on June 5, next year.
But perhaps the most deafening of the raging storm is the promotion of officers from the South-South to the rank of DIG and AIG. Protests have trailed the appointment of Marvel Akpoyibo, a Commissioner of Police currently in Kogi State, ahead of several senior officers, even as the most senior CP from the zone, Edgar Nanakumor, not only missed the position, but was also not appointed an AIG. Nanakumor is the third most senior CP in service.
PSC spokesman Ferdinard Ekpe, said he was not competent to speak on the allegations of procedural irregularities and controversies, but invited Daily Sun to the commission’s headquarters by noon yesterday (Thursday), to meet with a superior officer. But a few minutes to the scheduled appointment, he sent an SMS requesting that the meeting be postponed to a later date.
They accused the PSC of procedural irregularities and under-hand dealings.
Daily Sun checks indicated that unless urgent measures were taken to remedy the situation, the brewing anger, frustration and confusion precipitated by the promotions announced on Wednesday by the PSC, might jeopardize efforts by the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, at building a cohesive, disciplined and efficient police force.
Deep gullies of bad blood are already forming within the top hierarchy of the force, as some visibly angry brass hats within the ranks of AIG and Commissioner of Police [CP], alleged an untidy handling of the exercise by the PSC.
They are demanding explanations from the commission on the criteria used for the promotions especially to the rank of DIG, in which five CPs emerged as beneficiaries ahead of their seniors on the ranks of AIG. The seven new DIGs are Suleiman Fakai, Atiku Kafur, Emmanuel Udeoji, Haruna John, Peter Gana, Marvel Akpoyibo, and Abdurahaman Akano.
However, among the beneficiaries, only the appointments of Fakai and Udeoji did not raise dust. Until their elevations on Wednesday, Fakai was the most senior AIG while Udeoji, who was number four in seniority on the Staff List for Commissioners, was the most senior CP from the South-East.
Though junior to AIG Ephraim Amakulor, who hails from Umuahia South in Abia State and presently in charge of the Zone 8 command with headquarters in Lokoja, Udeoji might have been picked as a DIG, since Amakulor is expected to statutorily disengage from service on May 17, this year.
Daily Sun learnt that though representations from the six geo-political zones of the country, seniority and good record of service, without a pending disciplinary matter [PDM], were top on the criteria for promotion of officers to DIG and AIG, the appointment of four CPs to the rank of DIG has generated serious crisis.
In the North-east zone for instance, some senior officers are protesting the emergence of Haruna John, a CP as DIG, ahead of four serving AIGs from his zone including Abubakar Mohammed, Ibrahim Ahmed, Saidu Daya and Bukar Maina.
Sources said his elevation over Mohammed and Ahmed was normal since both were due for retirement by the end of this month, but AIGs Daya and Maina would remain in service till February and June, 2013 respectively, just as Haruna who until his elevation, was 18th on the seniority list of CPs, and is also scheduled to retire on June 5, next year.
But perhaps the most deafening of the raging storm is the promotion of officers from the South-South to the rank of DIG and AIG. Protests have trailed the appointment of Marvel Akpoyibo, a Commissioner of Police currently in Kogi State, ahead of several senior officers, even as the most senior CP from the zone, Edgar Nanakumor, not only missed the position, but was also not appointed an AIG. Nanakumor is the third most senior CP in service.
PSC spokesman Ferdinard Ekpe, said he was not competent to speak on the allegations of procedural irregularities and controversies, but invited Daily Sun to the commission’s headquarters by noon yesterday (Thursday), to meet with a superior officer. But a few minutes to the scheduled appointment, he sent an SMS requesting that the meeting be postponed to a later date.
SOURCE: The Sun, 24 February 2012. http://sunnewsonline.com/
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