PRESIDENT JONATHAN SNUBS POLICE IG, MD ABUBAKAR'S LOBBY FOR TENURE ELONGATION

MD Abubakar

-Presidency Tips Solomon Arase To Take Over 
-How Commission Inquiry Indicted Abubakar Over Link With IslamicFundamentalists
-As Other DIGs Jostle For The Post

President Goodluck Jonathan has rebuffed moves by friends and associates of the outgoing Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar to get an extension of tenure.

Zamfara-born Abubakar joined the Nigeria Police Force on July 30, 1979 as a cadet Inspector. He is due to retire on July 30, 2014, when he would have spent the mandatory 35 years in service. Sources disclosed that President Jonathan may have settled for a more cerebral Soloman Arase, Assistant Inspector General of  Police (AIG) in charge of Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB).

Solomon Arase

Edo-born Arase, who has degrees in Political Science and Law, is a fellow of the National War College. His bureau is the only arm of the Police that sifts intelligence on crimes and national security.mIt is gathered that the Presidency settled for Arase following the need for a vibrant IG with the exposure and experience in intelligence gathering, the trend in contemporary policing. The tradition has been to pick the IG from the pool of AIGs or DIGs.

Earlier in the year there had been reports that the Presidency was considering Suleiman Fakai, Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Finance and Administration. A graduate of Geography, Fakai hails from Kebbi State, the same North west zone that has produced Minister of Defence, IG Abubakar, Comptroller-General of Customs Inde Dikko, among other key security appointments. But going by Federal Character principle, the North west is not eligible to produce any Inspector General for now. One other high ranking police officer that is being considered to take over from MD Abubakar, is Michael Zuokumor, a Deputy Inspector General.

Michael Zuokumor

Until his promotion last January, Zuokumor was AIG in charge of Zone 4, Makurdi. 
also, controversial police boss, Joseph Mbu, the former Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, is reported to be riding on the influence of his godmother, the Nigerian First Lady, Patience Jonathan, to lobby for the post of the Inspector General. Meanwhile, sources disclosed that Abubakar has deployed lobbyists led by billionnaire industralist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote to plead with President Jonathan, so as to make him stay in office for another period of three to six months. Another group of lobbyists led by Minister of Defence retired General Aliyu Gusau and a very influential minister were also reported to have made unsuccessful attempts to convince Jonathan.

Joseph Mbu

Since May 29, 1999 all Inspector Generals of Police including Musiliu Smith, Tafa Balogun, Sunday Ehindero, Mike Okiro and Ogbonna Onovo, earned university degrees before enlisting in the Force. The quintet enlisted as cadet Assistant Supritendents of Police (ASP).

The streak was however broken in September 2010 when President Jonathan appointed Jigawa-born Hafiz Ringim as IG. Ringim joined the police with an advanced diploma. His successor Mohammed Abubakar enlisted with a Teachers’ Grade II certificate. Both officers joined as cadet Inspectors.

Under Abubakar the Nigeria Police shirked its constitutional responsibility of enforcing law and order. The organization tactically withdrew from combating terrorism, electing instead to periodically deploy thousands of officers during elections. As a source put it, Abubakar cleverly didn’t want to rock Boko Haram’s boat the way Hafiz Ringim, his predecessor did.

“Remember that our (police) headquarters was bombed few hours after Ringim boasted in Maiduguri that with the APCs deployed there, Boko Haram’s days were numbered,” reminded the officer.

“So, MD (Abubakar) went about minding his business as the Inspector General. He wouldn’t touch Boko Haram with a 10-foot pole. Little wonder his only achievement is the PPP Housing Estate in Kubwa?” he added.

Interestingly, a report by a judicial commission of inquiry into the Jos crisis had indicted Abubakar, who was Commissioner of Police in Plateau State at the time, for siding with Islamic fundamentalists.