Rumble in Police over Ribadu

[bamalli]

Senior officers and rank and file of the police at the force headquarters in Abuja are grumbling over the restoration of the rank of assistant inspector general to Malam Nuhu Ribadu, according to interviews conducted by Daily Trust.

Police officers who spoke to our reporter yesterday said it was wrong for the authorities to reverse the demotion of Ribadu because his mates in the force are still on the ranks of assistant or deputy commissioner of police.

They also said singling him out for reversal of the demotion that affected 139 other officers was capable of provoking discontent within the police force.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) last week restored the AIG rank to Ribadu and also commuted his dismissal from the police force to retirement, reportedly under pressure from the presidency. He was demoted last year, alongside 139 other police personnel, because of alleged irregularities in his promotion and was later dismissed over accusations of insubordination.

A senior police officer told Daily Trust yesterday that Ribadu was hastily promoted to AIG from the rank of assistant commissioner while he was chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) without following the proper procedure.

"All his mates who were enlisted same time into the force are either assistants or deputy commissioners now," the officer said.

Another top police offer said the decision by the police service commission was influenced by certain officials of the Federal Government and was not in line with expectations and conventions of the force.

"The police force relies on government policies and its personnel belong to the public, so if the government decided to take such a decision, the public will judge. In the end any decision taken on the police will affect the entire people, so by this action definitely the entire security system will be affected," he said.

Another officer said the best way to keep police officers motivated would be through credible promotions and if the processes of promotion were influenced by individuals or institutions, then the personnel would be demoralised.

But spokesman for the police force ACP Emmanuel Ojukwu, when contacted for comments, said police authorities would abide by the decision of the PSC on Ribadu and any other decision for that matter.

PSC commissioner in charge of media affairs Comfort Obi said apart from Ribadu, no other police officer requested their demotion to be reviewed. "But we shall treat complaints as they come," she said.

Obi said many policemen who were demoted alongside Ribadu had their ranks restored because they attained their respective appropriate times for promotion and satisfied all requirements.

She said at the time the late Haz Iwendi, former CP of Kaduna State, was promoted to commissioner after his demotion to deputy commissioner, it was confirmed it was his right time of promotion. "All his mates were promoted to the rank of commissioner at the same time," she added.

Earlier last week, Police Affairs Minister Adamu Maina Waziri said only Ribadu appealed his demotion and this was why he was the only person whose case has been considered. He said the commission would review the case of any officer when an appeal is made.

FRM: Daily trust