By Kolawole Ojebisi
A former Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro, has said the tenure in office of an Inspector General of Police should not be at the discretion of the President.
Okiro noted this state of affairs does not allow the Chief Police Officer to execute his long term plans as his reign can be truncated by the president at anytime.
The former chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC) explained that subjecting the years in office of the IGP to the whims and caprices of the presidency does not guarantee tenure security.
Okiro said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Abuja
According to Okiro amending Section 7 (6) of the Police Act 2020 to allow for a four-year tenure for the office of the IG would stabilise the police system.
“The four-year tenure will ensure stability within the Nigeria Police. This will help sustain institutional knowledge and prevent disruptions.
“The four-year tenure will also ensure increased productivity and efficiency in carrying out responsibilities.
“It is my strong conviction that this will allow the IG to focus on his longer-term planning, goal-setting, and successful execution,“ he said.
Recall that the Senate recently amended Section 7 (6) of the Police Act 2020 to allow the IG to complete a four-year term irrespective of age or years of service.
The former police boss said that as a former chairman of the Police Service Commission, he had recommended that the IG should only be removed from office by two-thirds of the Senate and not the president.
“The police and the country are losing in this situation because there is no stability in the system,“ he said.
Okiro said the amendment of Section 7(6) is a welcome development.
“The law has now negated the 60 and 35 years retirement age and years of service respectively in the civil service. With this law now, the IG can concentrate on the benefit of the police and the country,” he added.
According to NAN, with the amendment, anybody appointed to the office of the I-G would remain in the office until the end of the four-year term stipulated in the letter of appointment.
