Posted by By MURPHY GANAGANA, Abuja on
Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro has sensationally revealed how he obtained approval from President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to send senior police officers, including the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on course.
Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro has sensationally revealed how he obtained approval from President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to send senior police officers, including the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on course.
Addressing a meeting of senior police officers from the rank of commissioner of police and above drawn from all police formations nationwide in Abuja, on Wednesday, the IGP said that sending officer on course was informed by his realization that senior police officers were no longer interested in attending courses to improve their performance.
'When I took over as acting IGP, I went to the president and told him I'd found out that policemen didn't want to attend courses. They are not interested in courses. I also told him that because policemen are not interested in courses, we must tie promotion to courses.
Then, if you attend a course and you fail, you are given one more chance. But if you fail again, you are retired. I then wrote a memo in which I tabulated the courses to be attended before being promoted from ASP and above. The president approved it, and we are implementing it from this year. There is no more home delivery promotion," Okiro declared.
While describing the seemingly frosty relationship between the EFCC and the police authorities as an internal matter which has been closed, the IGP insisted that all police officers must have career prospects, just as he disclosed that a committee to be headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of administration, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo, would soon be set up to work out modalities for enhancing the career of police officers.
Expressing concern over the sale of police uniforms in the open market and reports of disparity in the payment of the new police salaries in several commands and formations, Okiro directed that cash payment of salaries be stopped with effect from this month.
Said he: 'We've been having series of complaints about payment of the new police salaries. As from this month, no more cash payments. Also, there is this issue of pay slips. It used to be there. A pay slip will make somebody to know how much is his salary before going to the bank. So, make sure you issue pay slip to everybody.
'Again, police uniforms are being sold in the market and our men for whom they are issued do not have them. This is because the CPs do not have time to check the stores. Today (Wednesday), we are issuing new uniforms to you. I am giving you two weeks to send me a report of issuance by name. Make sure they are thoroughly distributed to all divisions."
Reiterating his earlier directive to CPs to withdraw all police orderlies and guards attached to unauthorized VIPs, politicians and businessmen, Okiro said 42 policemen on such duties were arrested during the Yuletide period and are presently being interrogated to determine their level of culpability.
He further disclosed that a total of 3111 police officers, out of over 10,000 personnel sacked during the last rationalization exercise, have been recalled after a painstaking screening process, adding that more may still be reabsorbed in due course, even as efforts have been intensified to conclude the screening of candidates for the cadet Inspector and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) already completed at the state and zonal command levels, but suspended at the final lap due to the absence of a board at the Police Service Commission.
Okiro, who said officers and men would be encouraged to embark on study leave, however, expressed dismay at a debt of N541million owed personnel as allowances and estacodes by past police administrations through courses not budgeted for.
Confirming receipt of a petition by Adams Oshiomhole, immediate past president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and governorship candidate of the Action Congress in Edo State during the April 2007 elections alleging threat to his life, the IGP said he has referred the petition to an appropriate unit for diligent investigation.