Memo to Inspector-General Ehindero (1)

By

Sunday Gabriel Ehindero CFR, NPM, mni

Inspector-General of Police

I have been privileged to peruse the memo sent to me by Bilya Bala Esq. and published in the Friday Column of Daily Trust newspaper of 3rd November, 2006 at the back page. I have also been privileged to read the responses to the Memo by your readers. I am indeed overwhelmed by the observed changing fortunes of the Nigeria Police, as captured by Mallam Bala, as well as the responses.

It is undeniably quite gratifying that there are so many Nigerians out there at home and in Diaspora, desirous to see the restoration of the glory of the Nigeria Police. I share in this laudable aspirations. For your information, Mallam Bala and other readers, not only do I find time to read your memo and the responses, I have also promised to be as frank as all of you were, in providing some answers to your question as to ‘what went wrong with the police’. Before then, let me thank Isiaka Akande, Chike, Nurudeen and Andrew for their observations

I recollect the incident at the IBB Golf Club and the impression your comments on the Police left on me. I must admit that I feel more comfortable not wearing the toga of a top policeman, when not on duty. I sincerely believe that we are all equal before God. I do not even now see myself as superior to even a constable. May be all that I have is the advantage of age and the privilege of education. Let me, therefore, thank you immensely for your kind words and for spotting me just as I am. Let me also assure you that it is too late for those good traits to fizzle out such that your golf mate in your words will be “forced to act against his conscience”.

I noticed that you were not quite pleased with the issue of my ‘threat’ to arrest journalists for offensive derogation of the Police Force on the issue of corruption. It is not a threat but an advice to journalists to publish the truth . It is important for you to know that the ICPC report that was cited did not originate from ICPC. The alleged report claimed that the police and PHCN were the two most corrupt organizations in Nigeria. Besides lacking in empirical data, the officer who was alleged to have issued the statement denied it in the presence of journalists. The conclusion therefore was that the two journalists who filed the stories were obviously not being charitable in their comments.

From your experience of advanced countries and your various travels, it is obvious that citizens and the mass media nurture, cherish and respect their Police force. They build and edify the police to protect them. Where glaring cases of corruption and abuse of office occur, they are highlighted and remedy proffered designed to strengthen the police. That is what I expect from journalists, not castigation all the time.

On the issue of partisanship on the enforcement of the Public Order Act, Mallam Bala, you will recall that one of the challenges I faced when I assumed office, as the Inspector-General of Police, was the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) nationwide mass rally to protest the hike in petroleum products. I had dialogue with NLC and in line with the provisions of the Public Order Act, I granted them permit to hold rally throughout the country. It was quite successful and peaceful. There was no directive from Government on this issue neither was I ‘forced to act against my conscience’.

So also it was with the issue of the incident at Sheraton Hotel where persons who did not obtain Police permit, erroneously believing that it was not necessary, were not allowed to hold rally. I was only enforcing the Public Order Act and the decision of the Court of Appeal in Chukwuma v FGN. To clarify the issue and to garner public opinion on the Act, I

organized a public workshop on the Public Order Act with political

stakeholders, civil rights groups and NGOs in attendance. The workshop examined what aspects of the Public order that needed refurbishing. The proceeding has been collated and published as a book titled ‘Police and the Public Order Act’. I reserve a copy for you.

Mallam Bala, so much has happened in Nigeria in the last 30 years. Nigeria Police cannot be said to be left in the general rot of the public service. In 1976, I was a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) serving in Kano State of which Katsina and Jigawa States were parts. As a DSP, and in my division, I had a lorry, a Peugeot 504 station wagon, a land rover jeep and a motor cycle. I had a fuel dump in my station.

Mallam Bala, most state commands at best can only boast of one lorry! I had well-furnished government quarters with the furniture changed every year by the Ministry of Works. I received air warrant or rail warrant to go on investigation, or to go and give evidence or to go and arrest a suspect any where in the country. Police Communication stations were used by various government agencies to transmit urgent messages. Military and Government officials queued up to hire police planes and pilots. Police salaries and allowances were regular and sufficient. As a Police Mobile force officer, any one who tried to bribe us had his mouth stuffed with the money. Bribe was detestable and those who received it regurgitated it. Police was not exposed to the temptations of poverty. That is the image I envisioned for the Nigeria Police. The good news, Mallam Bala, is that Mr. President also bemoaned the plight of the Police just like you. But unlike others who cried without proffering a solution, Mr. President set up a Presidential Committee on Police Reforms. The members were made up of distinguished retired Police officers, human rights activists, inter alia, who like you, had seen the Police as it was 30 years ago. Their far reaching recommendations have been approved by the Federal Executive Council. We are in the implementation stage.

The recommendations will address the low morale, general moral decay as typified in the Ejigbo and Kogi cases you mentioned. You should not however forget to give kudos to our in-house cleaning mechanism which not only exposed these cases but also successfully prosecuted them. Of course, the recommendations will shield the average policeman from the

temptations of poverty as advised by Chike.

On armed robberies, more equipment is on the way, particularly the efforts of the Police Equipment Committee. On political assassinations, the Police has achieved successes of recent which our media lavishly celebrated. The successful investigation of the murder of Dr. Ayo Daramola of Ekiti State and murder of the wife of Alhaji Rimi are cases in point.

Let me not bore you further, but I wish to assure you that when part two of your memo is received, I will be glad to comment on it. Once again, please accept my deepest thanks for your kind thoughts for the Nigeria Police.

Sincerely Yours,

Sunday Gabriel Ehindero CFR, NPM, mni

Inspector-General of Police