• Senior officers favour Fakai
As the curtain is about to fall finally on the tenure of the current Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, the scheming and intrigues over who takes over from him are getting more intense by the day.
Though it is not clear who will be the next IGP as the decision rests squarely with President Goodluck Jonathan, who is also the chairman of the Police Council, a reliable source at the Presidency told Saturday Independent in Abuja that the earlier plan of the President to extend the tenure of Abubakar till after the 2015 elections may not be feasible.
This, according to the source, is because many forces are against the plan to allow Abubakar to continue in office beyond July 31.
As the lobbying and counter-lobbying intensifies, few names are said to be receiving upper hand in the race for the new IGP. And two of the most prominent names, according to our source, are DIG Suleiman Fakai, who is the most senior officer next to Abubakar. He is also currently in charge of the department of finance and administration.
He is said to enjoy the support and backing of other senior officers in the Force.
Another name that is said to be receiving favourable backing and mention from the lobbyists, is the current Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mbu Joseph Mbu.
Mbu came to national limelight as a result of his roles in the political crisis in Rivers State from where he was transferred to the FCT.
Those clamouring for Mbu and who are mostly South South indigenes, are said to be doing that through the office of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.
According to our source, “one of their arguments is that since the current democratic dispensation, no South South person has been appointed to that position. They believe that after Abubakar, it will be just and fair for a South South person to head the police force.”
But Fakai is said to be having an advantage because, according to our source, “if Fakai is made the IGP, it means that all the senior officers will remain in the force. This has made almost all the senior officers to throw their support behind him. This, the Presidency is also considering because it means that all the experienced hands will still remain in service and continue to make their contributions to the fight for an end to terrorism in the country.”
The source also said that the concern among stakeholders and power brokers at the Presidency is that if Mbu is made the IGP, all the other senior and experienced hands will have no option but to retire and that option will not be good for the force.
Saturday Independent investigation revealed that if Mbu is eventually made the IGP, six deputy inspectors general (DIGs), 19 assistant inspectors general (AIGs) and 14 commissioners of police (CPs) will be forced out of the Force.
And DIGs that may have to go if Mbu takes over from Abubakar include Fakai, Michael Zuokumor, who is in charge of operations, Emmanuel Udoji, logistics and supply; Atiku Kafur, in charge of training; Peter Gana, who calls the shot at investigation department, Jonathan Johnson in charge of department of information communication technology; and AIGs like Dan’azumi Doma, Force Secretary and AIG Solomon Arase, in charge of Force Intelligence Bureau.
One of the DIGs that may go if Mbu gets the top job reluctantly told us, “I don’t have anything to tell you. We are waiting to see what will happen. Everything rests in the hands of the President.”
And as they wait to see who the President will pick for the job, all the DIGs, AIGs and even the CPs are said to be living in anxiety as they have no clue as to who will step into the shoes of Abubakar.
Daily Independent.
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