Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s extension of the tenure of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, by three months as unlawful and unconstitutional.
Wabara wondered why Buhari would decide to act unconstitutionally by extending the tenure of Adamu when there are other Fulanis in the police force.
“Buhari goes again by unconstitutionally and deceitfully extending the IGP’s tenure,” Wabara said.
The ex-Senate President, in a sarcastic tone, asked: “Is there no other Fulani in the Nigeria Police Force even if he is a Corporal? After all, he has the powers to catapult a Fulani Corporal to the IGP position and Nigerians will be sleeping and clapping. Only in Nigeria!
“I am sure there are so many Fulanis in the police force. And if there is no Fulani man at that level to be made IGP, he has the powers to catapult a Fulani Corporal to IGP and nothing will happen. Since Fulanis must continue to be the IGP, he can choose a Fulani Corporal or Sergeant.
“I am not asking that he (Buhari) should use an Igbo man or a Yoruba man or a middle belt person to replace the IGP. But he should change him. And since he feels safe with the security apparatus of the nation being in the hands of a Fulani, then let him get a Fulani person no matter his rank. You have the enormous power to catapult a Corporal to IGP and Nigerians will be clapping. Do what is right. Nobody is indispensable. Not when you just adhered to the yearnings of the people that you should change the service chiefs. So, why again will you now start disregarding the yearnings of the people by still retaining this man whose tenure has expired. To me, it doesn’t make sense.”
He added: “The proper thing is that once your tenure is over you give way for another person to come in to allow job satisfaction within the force. Every officer has 35 years to spend and wants to get to the peak of his career. When you keep extending the tenure of a particular officer, how do you expect others to grow and get to the peak? Clearly, this has a very demoralizing effect on the police officers. It is very demoralizing to the police officers. While you are unconstitutionally extending the tenure of a particular officer, it will negatively impact on up and coming officers.”
