Posted by By MURPHY GANAGANA, Abuja on
Junior police officers publicly humiliated the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, in a show of shame which left the IGP scampering out of the Cultural Centre venue of the on-going public hearing organised by the Presidential Committee on Police Reforms in Abuja on Monday.
Junior police officers publicly humiliated the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, in a show of shame which left the IGP scampering out of the Cultural Centre venue of the on-going public hearing organised by the Presidential Committee on Police Reforms in Abuja on Monday.
The jeers and boos from a crowd of constables, corporals, sergeants and non-commissioned police officers who had converged on the venue to listen and watch proceedings bordering on their future, were sparked off by Ehindero's attempt at painting a rosy picture of the present day Nigeria Police Force.
With his voice drowned by the thunderous boo of his junior officers, the IGP was compelled to complain to the chairman of the presidential committee and presiding officer at the forum, Alhaji Mohammed Dan-Madami, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).
Apparently piqued by his humiliation in the hands of his subordinates, Ehindero requested the committee chairman to restore sanity in the hall. "Mr. chairman, I hope there is order in this house. More so, because police officers are still police officers even in this hall," he reminded Dan-Madami.
The IGP's complaint did not, however, deter the junior police officers who stood up in large number to be seen clearly, even as they continued booing Ehindero who was forced to cut short his speech and move out of the venue without exchanging banters with anyone.
Federal Capital Territory [FCT] Police Commissioner, Mr. Lawrence Alobi, who was visibly worried over the development chided the junior officers for the public humiliation of the IGP, just as he hurriedly went into a closed door meeting with senior officers.
Addressing newsmen Tuesday in Abuja, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Police Reforms, Alhaji Dan-Madami, described the response from stakeholders and members of the public in the six geo-political zones of the country as encouraging.
"There is the need to improve on the welfare of policemen. It will be in our report. There is the need to increase their salaries and allowances, as well as the problem of accommodation. But there is hope that the problems of the police will soon be solved," he assured.