Amid the broad range of swelling opinions against his retention; and the controversy over whether he should retire according to the extant public service rules or remain in his post at the pleasure of Mr. President, President Muhammadu Buhari seem to have bowed to public pressure to let the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Kpotun Idris to retire from the police force with effect from tomorrow, Tuesday, January 15. According to reports, Idris is expected to retire on attainment of the mandatory 35 years in service or 60 years of age. Huhuonline.com learnt from Aso Rock sources that Buhari has shortlisted an Assistant Inspector General of Police from Nasarawa State as a possible replacement.
Idris, who clocks 60 years on Jan. 15 paid “a bye-bye visit’’ to President Buhari yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The outcome of the closed door meeting was not disclosed but a source close to the presidency, who elected anonymity, confirmed that a replacement to the retiring IGP would be named on Tuesday, among the shortlisted candidates. One of the persons said to be on the on the shortlist is AIG Adamu Mohammed. If he gets the nod, it means the DIGs may be required to retire.
Idris, according to public records, was born on January 15, 1959; he will be 60 years old tomorrow, Jan. 15, 2019. He enrolled in the Nigeria Police Force in 1984 after graduating from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture; he should be 35 years in public service by 2019. It is reported that his due date was actually January 3. According to Item No. 020810 (i) and (ii) of the Public Service Rules (2008), “the compulsory retirement age for all grades in the Service shall be 60 years or 35 years in pensionable service, whichever is earlier.” Further, “No officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier.”
So, if the rules were to be observed by persons on oath to uphold them, Idris should have voluntarily and honorably retired from service on January 3, this year “which is earlier “than January 15 when he will be 60. He did not do so and Buhari’s body language suggested he wanted to extend his tenure as he did for the service chiefs, but was widely criticized for rewarding mediocrity and promoting stagnation for a generation of deserving officers.
IGP Idris, who was appointed by President Buhari on June 21, 2016, replaced Solomon Arase, who retired from the police force on same day. Idris has been so burdened with controversy of many sorts to be tolerated a day longer than his retirement date. Idris has for much of his tenure acted like a man possessed by the spirit of error. When he is not saying the wrong things, he is doing the wrong things, or he simply fails to do the right thing. He has acted in a way that has often opened him to charges of insubordination to his Commander-in-Chief and by that a violation of Section 215 (3) of the Constitution.
Specifically, the President had ordered the IGP to relocate to Benue State when herdsmen crisis in the state hit the fan last year. It was curious that the IGP failed to relocate there as the authorities in Benue later confirmed. Most people had then felt that the police chief should have been sacked. This highest law enforcement officer has, in violation of Section 89 of the constitution, refused several times to obey the law of the land as well as constituted authority for failing to present himself to the Senate when invited. Lately under his watch, in what could be construed an untidy act of professionalism, scores of policemen who could be more gainfully deployed elsewhere to protect lives and property laid siege for eight days on the residence of a senator they wanted to arrest. This too was embarrassing.
In his earlier response to a question whether he would extend Idris’ tenure, Buhari had said, in a somewhat desultory manner, “I don’t think I am afraid of him. I will take action.” Just what that was supposed to mean as a response to a clear and simple question, was anyone’s guess. All told, Buhari’s decision to let Idris go home is a welcome relief as Nigerians certainly deserve better than Idris; who is indeed an IGP the nation does not need.
