Our Senate Deserves Some Respect – By Chukwudi Ogbu
Loading ...HERE is Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector General Of Police, IGP. He keeps flouting strict orders, but too quick to remove from office those who disobeys him. He does it with erudite fondness. The Senate says he his unfit to hold any public office. An enemy to democracy. Maybe it’s true. The IGP can be too egocentric. He thinks he his the law. But has forgotten that the Senate created the law.
Perhaps, it’s his attitudinal bearing. He had disobeyed President Muhammadu Buhari when instructions were given to visit Benue when 73 persons were killed in the early hours of January – he chose to act with deaf ears – he flew back to Abuja immediately. The president claimed he was not aware Idris flouted his order, and did nothing!
When he was sent to Benue, was he thinking it was the job of the minister of defence? He should have known better it was the Job of the police!
Who else can query this IGP when the president himself can not?
We are not all too surprised that Idris failed to show up at the hallowed chambers of the Senate again. He had done it before. But, it gives us more concern that this IGP does not value the lives of Nigerians. It bears repeating itself again, twice. He has failed again to show up in the Senate, to answer some growing concerns on the security challenges in the country. The failures of the police.
The Senate has the constitutional rights to summon any public office holder into her house for questioning when they fail to meet up to expectations. The IGP’s case is no exemption.
A friend of mine, a columnist. We talked during launch. He told me that Ibrahim Idris is the only IGP that have disobeyed a President and no action was taken. Nothing was done to show discipline. But how can anyone not explain the force behind Idris actions. He was the Commissioner of Police in Kano State. He had secured more votes for President Buhari in the past election. He was immediately promoted to the position of the IGP. He knows he has found favour in his boss. He knows his boss cannot afford to loose him in the coming presidential election. He has the backing of the president.
IGP, Idris may be following some precedents of retired Colonel Hameed Ali, the Comptroller-General of the Customs who believe that the Senate has no power to summon him. He was invited by the Senate to provide details on the importation of illegal fire arms that was imported last year. He did not show up.
When Senator Dino Malaye was released on bail of N90million, the police was too quick to re arrest him. He should have been given some time to prepare against the charges before him. He was treated like Evans. There was no reaction from the Senate. A finger has been poked into their eyes. A disrespect to their image and a slap to democracy. They have the right to demand for a colleague’s whereabout because he represents a people. The people deserves to be represented. The IGP should not deny the people of kogi west active participation in representation.
Perhaps the Senate does not really deserves some accolades of which they could not tackle the corruption case of Senator Isah Misau and IGP Idris who was accused for collecting N120billion bribes from VIPs to provide them with police officers. Till today, the case has been swept under the carpet. Despite their continuous rejection of confirmation, Ibrahim Magu still remains the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC.
We might not say that the Senate can be irresponsible because they have not been able to pass the 2018 budget up till this period, yes, they have a considerable pile of documents to attend which is burning out their time, but at least, they deserves some dignified respect!
