Although the deployment of the new Commissioner of Police was with immediate effect, the Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ahmad Muhammed, told The Guardian that he is not aware of the time and date CP Ogunsakin will resume duty in the State.
A senior Police officer, who pleaded anonymity, said many of his colleagues in the state look forward to a new Commissioner of Police that will maintain a cordial relationship with the State government. He explained that for several years, the Rivers State Government has been funding the Police and providing adequate logistic assistance in terms of vehicles, bullet proof vest and others items.
“You will recall that Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s relationship with the immediate past Commissioner of Police was very frosty. And because of this the governor had threatened to withdraw support for the Police. This explains the reason why nobody has seen the government donating vehicles to the Police. We expect a better relationship between the new CP and the state government. A lot of police in the state want the synergy that once existed to be restored” he said.
Rivers State Government officials said the stance the government has adopted is that of wait-and-see. They said it would be too early to determine if the new CP will be professional and refuse to meddle in political affairs of the state.
Similarly, officials of the APC in the state declined to comment on the deployment of the new CP. They explained that they would rather watch and see if he will adhere to the rule of law.
Some residents alleged that former commissioner, Mr. Joseph Mbu, created a scenario that forced the people to lose confidence in the Police, while others viewed Mbu as a fearless police officer.
Executive Directive, Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Anyakwee Nsirimovu, described Ogunsakin as a professional police officer, but urged him to be a peoples’ centre police commissioner by working in harmony with the State government to protect lives and properties of the people.
According to him, “Mbu created a scene that made people to lose confidence in the police; the new commissioner should endeavour to rebuild that confidence by doing his job according to the law. He should not be a detector or a commander, but should see himself as someone, who has come to serve.”
Similarly, a human right lawyer in the State, Idaye Opi, in a telephone interview, tasked Ogunsakin to be straightforward and avoid being partisan.
“The other police commissioner has done his own part; he was fearless, not easily influenced, so, I will advise Ogunsakin to adhere strictly to police work and avoid being involved in politics.”
Also, Mrs. Agnes Ndukwe, a trader who regretted that the activities of the police was affecting the economy of the state, charged the new commissioner to give all parties equal attention and leave politicians to their game.
Ogunsakin before his redeployment to the State was the Commissioner of Police in charge of Special Fraud Unit, Lagos. He was born on August 1, 1957 and hails from Ikere Ekiti in Ekiti State.
The new CP enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet ASP in 1982. He started his police career in 1984 in Ibadan as Divisional Crime Officer, Bodija Police Station. In 1985, he attended Anti-Riot Mobile Police Training at Gwoza, Borno State and was the Unit Commander No. 4 Squadron, Ibadan. In 1989, he joined the Interpol Lagos as a detective Superintendent.
At Interpol, he became head and shouldered above the rest and was made the officer in-charge of Organised Crime Division, Officer in-charge of Europe/North America Economic and Financial Crime Division and ACP in-charge of Interpol.
Source: Guardian
No comments:
Post a Comment