Pressure on Yar’Adua to appoint new IG from the North
By Olusola Fabiyi
Published: Saturday, 14 Feb 2009
The Presidency has started perusing the credentials of the likely successors to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, as he prepares for his terminal leave.

President Umar Yar’Adua

However, it was gathered in Abuja on Friday that some interest groups are gearing up to mount pressure on President Umaru Yar’Adua to appointment a Northerner to succeed Okiro.

At least, about four senior police officers are in the running to replace Okiro whose tenure will expire on July 24.

By that time, Okiro will be 60 years old, but would only have served for 32 years in the Police.

Though the IGP is expected to start his terminal leave on April 24, three months before his expected departure from office, our correspondent however learnt that he might not proceed like his predecessor, Sunday Ehindero.

By law, public officers in Nigeria are expected to retire after 35 years in service, or after attaining 60 years of age, whichever comes first.

Okiro succeeded Chief Sunday Ehindero in June 2007.

He was born on July 24, 1949 and joined the Nigeria Police Force on August 1, 1977.

Among the top contenders for the job is DIG Ogbonna Onovo, who is the most senior of all the DIGs. He even became DIG before Okiro who was given double promotion from the rank of Commissioner of Police to the rank of DIG. Onovo acted for one day after Ehindero’s retirement before President Yar’Adua appointed Okiro.

Contrary to the earlier report, Onovo will not be due for retirement until August 1, 2012 when he would have served the police for 35 years having enlisted in the Force on August 1, 1977.

Onovo, who hails from Nkanu Local Government Area of Enugu State, has a degree in Political Science and was one time Director-General of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

Those said to also be on the list of the Presidency are Ringim, a former Force Secretary, who is expected to retire from the Force on August 1, 2014 and John Ahmadu, the DIG in charge of Research, who reportedly is to remain in the Force up till November 11, 2015.

While Ringim also has a degree in Education, Ahmadu has a first degree in Sociology.

Others in the race include the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar, and AIG in-charge of Police College unit, Hafiz Ringim.

In pushing for the candidacy of these officers from the North, some influential political forces believe that it is now the turn of the region as the IGP position has been in the South since the return to civilian government in 1999. Southern officers who have held the position since are Messrs Musiliu Smith, Tafa Balogun, Ehindero and Okiro.

While Ringim hails from Ringim, Jigawa State, Ahamadu is from Takum, Taraba State and Abubakar, from Zamfara State.

But a source at the FHQ said that the Force would be losing a lot if the appointment of who becomes the IGP would be determined by geographical location.

One of the sources said, “It is unfortunate that we can be debating on who leads the Force when the roll call of senior officers are there? Naturally, the next officer in rank and seniority ought to take over, but because the military came and messed up the institution, we believe that was the right thing.

“In the military, it is not so. Though it is the prerogative of the President to determine who becomes IGP, yet he has to look at the credentials of the options he has.”

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, did not pick his telephone when our correspondent sought his reaction on Friday, while an aide to the Minister of Police Affairs who pleaded anonymity said he would get a briefing from the minister before responding to our enquiry.

But the spokesperson of the Police Service Commission, Ms. Comfort Obi, said that the only input that the commission could make was through the chairman of the PSC, who she said is also a member of the Police Council that is saddled with the responsibility of appointing the IGP.

LETS wait and see if the president will succumb to the ridiculous idea of choosing police leader geographically

Sam Milla:

LETS wait and see if the president will succumb to the ridiculous idea of choosing police leader geographically

And you are still wondering why Igbos want out of that you silly country nigeria? Since to your porous head, the only reason is because of oil. Igbo wanabe.

I don't give a damn who succeds Okiro. What does it matter?

muhsin:

I don't give a damn who succeds Okiro. What does it matter?

That is called nigerian mouth gun. Same as i don't give a damn where the president comes from, but the last thing you nigerians will do is to willingly vote in Igbo president. Hypocrits.

Bialegend:

That is called nigerian mouth gun. Same as i don't give a damn where the president comes from, but the last thing you nigerians will do is to willingly vote in Igbo president. Hypocrits.

Dumb!

Bialegend:

That is called nigerian mouth gun. Same as i don't give a damn where the president comes from, but the last thing you nigerians will do is to willingly vote in Igbo president. Hypocrits.

who will willingly vote for Ibori or Odili? you are acting as if the citizens choose the candidates from their political parties

who did you vote for in the last election?

Okiro should just go, that man is terrible!

Onovo and Abubakar seems to be the likely candidate

Bialegend:

And you are still wondering why Igbos want out of that you silly country nigeria? Since to your porous head, the only reason is because of oil. Igbo wanabe.

i would prefer if you dont call me names and post your own point here.
i have porous head simply because i said i dont advocate for division of Nigeria,

I guess the likes of Nnamdi Azikiwes who also advocated for one Nigeria have porous heads as well,
The problem with people like you is that they are too blinded by greediness and bad heart that they fail to see the needs of others. You make noise here as if your small town is at peace with their neighbours.
You must learn to widen your mind. Think Big and think UNITY especially for already established sovereign nation

a very unnecessary post,during obasajno all the police i.gs were from the west(yoruba) and no one made noise about it,so why would some one now start making noise about some one who appointed a rivers man and is about appointing either an ibo man or a northerner?

DRANOEL:

a very unnecessary post,during obasajno all the police i.gs were from the west(yoruba) and no one made noise about it,so why would some one now start making noise about some one who appointed a rivers man and is about appointing either an ibo man or a northerner?

Some Nigerians just love to believe their ethnic group is being marginalized.

Just because he appoints a northerner doesn't mean a northerner will do anything to make northerners better off. How much have the lives of the Fulani improved under Yar'Adua.