By Musa Maisanu
To parody the prophetic words of the famous French essayist, poet and politician, Victor Hugo, “No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.”
Indeed, the foregoing wisecrack becomes apposite in describing the momentum that has greeted the entrance of the erstwhile top cop, Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu CFR into the gubernatorial race for Shamdam Road Government House, Lafia, in Nasarawa State come 2027.
It’s not unexpected that a man of such a timber and calibre won’t just add to the numbers because he’s not an unknown quantity after all, but would cause lots of upsets for those already dreaming about victory even before the political hustings proper.
Now the question may arise: who is really IGP (rtd) Mohammed Abubakar Adamu? What is his pedigree? Does he has what it takes to lead Nasarawa state to victory, just as the name of Nigeria’s famous Home of Solid Minerals implies?
Well, a penny for your thoughts: a short anecdote on his life and times, career trajectory, public life, etal, would just suffice.
IGP rtd Adamu up, close and personal!
Born on September 17, 1961, in Lafia, Nasarawa state, Adamu started his primary education in 1968 at Dunama Primary School, Lafia, and finished in 1974 before proceeding to Government Secondary school, Obi, in Nasarawa state in 1975, where he obtained his West Africa School Certificate (WASC) in 1979.
Thereafter, he attended the School of Basic Studies at Ahmadu Bello University for a pre-degree programme and subsequently gained full admission into the same university in 1980, and later graduated with B.Sc. (Hons) in Geography in 1983.
He served his compulsory one-year National Youths Service Corps at Government Teachers College, Wamba, formerly in Plateau state but now in Nasarawa state.
Upon completion of his NYSC programme, Adamu was employed as a Geography teacher at Government Day Secondary school, Gunduma, Keffi, Plateau state, in 1984 and later left teaching as Vice Principal of the same school in 1986 for the Nigeria Police Force.
He joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1986 and trained at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, and was subsequently posted to Imo state to work as the Divisional Crime and Administrative Officer at the Mgbidi Police Station, Mgbidi, Imo state.
Between 1988 and 1989, he served as the officer in charge of General Investigations at the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Zone 6, Headquarters, Calabar, Cross River state. In 1990, he was transferred back to Lagos.
Adamu became the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in Ekiti state in 2010, and was later transferred to Kaduna to serve in the same capacity in 2012.
In 2014, he was promoted and became the Enugu state Commissioner of Police and after successfully completing his course at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, he was made the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 5 Benin, which comprises Bayelsa, Delta and Edo state commands.
He also served in the Interpol Headquarters in Lyon, France as a specialised officer in Economic and Financial Crime Directorate, where he rose to become the first black African to be the Assistant Director in the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France.
Adamu who rose through the ranks to become the Vice President of the Interpol, also won many recognitions and awards during his professional career including winning the most outstanding community policing command/commissioner of police in Dubai, in 2014, amongst others.
He was appointed as the Inspector-General of Police by the then President Muhammadu Buhari, on January 15, 2019, as a replacement for Ibrahim Kpotun Idris (rtd).
As to be expected his tenure as the IGP marked a turning-point in the nation’s security architecture.
Under his watch, in a space of six months, the Nigerian Police Force, reportedly, recovered rearms including Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and rocket launchers, from criminal elements across the country, just as high profile suspects were arrested, including armed robbery suspects, suspected kidnappers, cultists, for murders and other heinous crimes.
The gallant police officer also announced recovery of stolen vehicles, rescue of kidnapped victims, and wait for this: under Adamu, special operations squads against crime, including Puff Adder, were sufficiently mobilised, leading to the rounding up of high-profile criminals that were operating undetected.
In the area of technology deployment in crime fighting, staff welfare, surveillance, arms and ammunition, his achievements remain unparalleled —a feat he couldn’t have achieved except through hard work, resilience and diligence.
Standing tall on his scorecard is his disposition and eventual support for community policing.
The Adamu-led NPF commenced the process of implementing the community policing agenda, engineered from the provisions of the Police Act, which involves the engagement of citizens in identifying and prioritising prevalent communal security threats.
The programme seeks to enhance communal togetherness in security matters through developing and implementing solutions to the identified security threats.
Interestingly too, under Adamu the menace of banditry was reduced to the barest minimum just as isolated cases in the Northwest, Boko Haram was decimated in the Southeast and Kaduna-Abuja expressway was cleared of bandits.
He also set machinery in motion for the interface that led to the hosting of security summits across all the regions of the country with the governors and several other stakeholders working in sync to bring lasting solutions to the security challenges facing communities.
One remarkable legacy he left behind his the handling of the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests which wreck devastating blow on the Nigerian Police Force, especially on its men and resources.
It is to Adamu’s credit that he was able to boost the morale of officers and men, while taking measures aimed at mending walls.
What has policing got to do with governance?
Perhaps the naysayers may still be wondering how policing is the same as governance?
Think again: that’s a high misconception in itself because no development can happen in a state of anarchy and chaos when insecurity is rife and that is why the good people of Nasarawa should consider themselves more than lucky to have someone in the mode of Adamu, who comes with a lot of experience and expertise into the bargain as such they can literally go to bed with their two eyes closed!
Just as most of the northern parts of the country, Nasarawa has had its own share of banditry, kidnapping episodes amongst other internal security threats even from adjoining towns which borders the state.
With the prospects of massive investments of her rich mineral resources, such as precious metals, gemstones, and industrial minerals such as barites, gypsum, kaolin and gold, columbites, silica sand, iron ore, granite, tantalite, marble, mica, cassiterite, limestone, aquamarine, among others, Nasarawa cannot afford to be led by someone with little or no pedigree in the area of human and material resource management and lacks a clear understanding of the security architecture of a peculiar state as Nasarawa for the simple reason that such security concerns can have rippled negative effects on the drive for investors both locally and foreign.
For those who may be having the illusion that Adamu may be a neophyte in governance, think again.
He has continued to offer his selfless service in and out of public service even as a private citizen.
From available information, a sizeable number of the youths population in major parts of the state are currently under his scholarship as his love for educational attainment remains his main driving force and inspiration.
For those who may not know, Adamu has been serving the ordinary people of Nasarawa even without holding any political office because like the kindred fellow he is, he believes the best work of life is service to humanity.
A cursory view of some of his activities bears eloquent testimonies about his commitment to and service to humanity, passions that are unmatched by many who have the opportunity to do the same.
To his credit is, there are hundreds of indigent youths who have become gainfully employed thanks to his sheer benevolence.
This is just as he is known to have used his influence both in and out of office as the IGP to build several facilities which dot Nasarawa landscape such as the Police Secondary School Lafia; Police Children School Lafia; Police Children School Keffi; Police P.R.O Lafia; Police H.M.O Lafia; Police Clinic New Building Lafia; Police Mobile Camp Akwanga; Police Station Alagya; Big water tank Alargy; Borehole Yelwa; Solar light Alargy; police Mobile Base Toto; Big Hole, and Obi Secondary School.
Groundswell of support for Adamu’s guber aspiration
Expectedly, there has been a groundswell of support for the governorship aspiration of the former super cop as political stakeholders especially from his Lafia Local Government Area are queuing behind him.
This was again manifest at a public function in Lafia recently, a notable figure like Prof. Mohammed Mainoma, former Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, said the decision to urge Adamu to contest for governorship was borne out of his pedigree in public service.
The technocrat who chaired the occasion described Adamu as an administrator par excellence who made a lot of positive impact during his career in the police force.
According to him, Nasarawa State is in dire need of such a man who had distinguished himself both nationally and internationally without any blemish whatsoever.
“We want him to come and replicate what he did at Interpol for more than 10 years, and as Nigeria’s IGP, to ensure peace and security in Nasarawa State.
“We want Nasarawa State to leverage his wealth of experience and international connections to ensure rapid growth and development of the state.
“Adamu is bold, accountable, knowledgeable, and resourceful to steer the ship of Nasarawa State to greater heights in 2027.
“We therefore, urge him to heed the clarion call of the people he is so passionate about, to contest the governorship in the next general election,” he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Barr. Musa Hussaini, an associate of the former IG, said that since 1999, there had never been a time when key stakeholders in Lafia would unanimously endorse a particular person until now.
“I dare say that we have never experienced an occasion where the entire Lafia LGA will rise in one voice to endorse a particular person.
“There is no voice of dissent, no criticism, everybody that is supposed to be somebody in Lafia is here to attest and to support the endorsement of our governor to become in 2027,” he said.
He therefore urged the people to do their bit by registering to be members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in their wards, to participate actively in the electoral process that would ensure Adamu’s victory in 2027.
While noting matter-of-factly that about 30 persons had indicated interest in vying for the Nasarawa State governorship position, Hussaini was quick to point out that Adamu stands tall above them given his leadership qualities and experience thus far.
Also Alhaji Abubakar Sarki-Dahiru, member representing Lafia/Obi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said Adamu deserved to be Nasarawa State governor in 2027 describing him as peace-loving and accommodating.
He urged the former IG to accept the call to contest and charged the people to rally around him to succeed for the betterment of the state.
Responding, Retired IG Adamu said that although he had no intention to contest for the governorship of Nasarawa State, he would not turn down the request of the people since he had led all his life serving the people.
He, however, said that he would still be consulting with stakeholders across the state in the interest of Nasarawa. Talk of being modest, a rare quality lacking among men who wield so much influence and power just like Adamu.
As Nasarawa state goes to the polls to elect the governor to pilot their affairs, it bears repeating here again that the man Adamu is someone who should be allowed to anchor the ship to ensure a smooth sail for a state that cannot afford to fall into the wrong hands.
- Maisanu, a public affairs commentator, writes from Lafia.
