IGP RETIRES AT DISCRETION OF PRESIDENT

As the career of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed ends on the 31st of July 2014, jostling over the position has commenced amidst reports that the IGP has been suspended from office and may commence on terminal leave.
Daily Trust gathered that the stories about the IGPs retirement and suspension may be politically motivated especially as senior police officers are lobbying for the job.
Three of the top police officers whose names come up as replacements include; AIG Suleiman Abba in charge of Zone 7, DIG Suleiman Fakai in Charge of Finance and Administration and DIG Michael Zuokomor who is in Charge of Operations, Daily Trust learnt.
A source who dismissed reports of the IGPs terminal leave, told Daily Trust that the stories and media reports are not true, explaining that the agitation is normal and only warning shots for the IGP to get his affairs in order before leaving office.
Daily Trust also gathered that the normal procedure is for a letter to be transmitted to the IGP from the Police Service Commission (PSC), advising him to commence on terminal leave three months before his retirement date.
Another source told Daily Trust that the IGP is not compelled to proceed immediately, but can stay until his retirement is due, “in the past, IGP Ringim was removed on the day of his retirement, even Okiro was in office until the last day.”
Speaking to Daily Trust, Comfort Obi, a Commissioner in the Police Service Commission said, the rumors about the IGP’s retirement and suspension is not true, because he is in office even today (yesterday).
“As I speak to you the IGP does not report to the Police Service Commission but the Presidency, so it is at the discretion of the President to extend his tenure or ask him to go on terminal leave,” She said.
Comfort Obi explained that there is no way the Police Service Commission will issue a letter to the IGP, noting that the Job of the chairman of the Commission as regards the appointment of the IGP or removal of IGP stops at the Police Council chaired by the President.
She further said the Chairman of the Police Service Commission is only a member of the Council so there is no way the Commission is involved in the removal of the IGP, “so any day that the IGP is going, the announcement will come from the Presidency.”
Not all the IGPs go on terminal leave, said Comfort Obi, “even at the Police Service Commission we are trying to scrap it for other top officers like AIGs and DIGs, but for the IGP it is at the discretion of the President.”
Three of the top police officers whose names have been put forward as possible replacement include AIG Suleiman Abba in charge of Zone 7, DIG Sulieman Fakai in Charge of Finance and Administration at the Police Headquarters and DIG Michael Zuokomor who is in Charge of Operations, Daily Trust learnt.
Source: Daily Trust