Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Deputy Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba as the new Acting Inspector General of Police. Before his appointment, Alkali Baba was the head of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID.) This appointment is coming at a time the country is going through serious security challenges with numerous cases of kidnapping and bandit attacks, with reported increasing casualties. This frightening development is besides the herdsmen/farmers clashes. What advice do Nigerians have for the new Acting IGP in tackling these numerous security challenges? BARABARA NEGBEJIE enquires.
‘The Acting IGP needs to also sanitize the police force’
As an acting IGP, he must be able not to tolerate any kind of crime and any idea he gives must be implemented. He must avoid corruption because that’s is what is eating up our society at large and above all, anyone found guilty must be punished The country has laws in place for offenders, if this can be implemented in full force coupled with beefing up security checks without intimidating the citizens then the security architecture will be in top gear. The IGP needs to also sanitize the police force to have men of integrity, proper and updated training in criminology and recruitment into the force be upgraded.
‘I don’t believe he will be able to do beyond what the President wants him to achieve’
I personally do not think the Acting IGP Usman Baba can reorganise the Nigerian security architecture, apart from the fact that his appointment was unlawful as the President single handedly appointed a new IGP without following the due process of paragraph 7 of the third sectionof the 1999 constitution. I don’t believe he will be able to do beyond what the President wants him to achieve. For him to be able to rejig the country’s security, the President has to be the President of all Nigerians and act accordingly, by speaking in the tone and language that the citizens will hear and understand that he cares for their welfare. I don’t believe that destruction of Federal buildings in the East or banditry in the North and the total mess of security in Nigeria can be tackled by the new IGP, for this to be possible, the president has to show Nigerians through words and actions that he represents all and not just the North. That’s my opinion. And for insecurity in the North generally, the government cannot deny that they know the root and the people behind them all. Like I said, security in this country cannot thrive more than what the people in power want.
‘The appointment should bring new ideas, new policies and tactics’
I think new appointment brings new ideas, new policies and tactics and above all, the new IGP will want to show the world that he has ideas that may rejig the security architecture and ideas on the country.
‘The Acting IGP should undertake a total overhaul of the police force’
Policing is about the passion to serve people. Firstly, The Acting IGP should do a total overhaul of the police force and then provide appropriate and adequate training as well as regulate them. Secondly, with excellent technology, map out a good apparatus to aid them work effectively. Then set up a disciplinary team to punish policemen who default.
I don’t believe he will be able to do beyond what the President wants him to achieve. For him to be able to rejig the country’s security, the President has to be the President of the all Nigerians and act accordingly, by speaking in the tone and language that the citizens will hear and understand that he cares for their welfare.
