Fresh facts emerged yesterday that the new Acting Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, was unaware of his appointment until about 4.30 pm on Tuesday because he was not officially communicated to by the Presidency.
Arase was watching a TV station at about 1.45 pm when he saw a news scroll naming him as the nation’s Acting Inspector-General of Police.
It was learnt that having done away with ex-IGP Suleiman Abba, President Goodluck Jonathan called for ranking order of the Deputy Inspectors-General of Police and picked Arase as the most senior.
But some former Inspectors-General of Police have initiated moves to lobby the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to confirm Arase as a substantive IGP because of his “meritorious records and because he is a reformist.”
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that although Arase enlisted in the Nigeria Police three years ahead of Abba, the presidency was uncomfortable with him in 2014 when it was time to appoint a new IGP.
Some curious security reports had indicated that Arase was “not a pliant police officer for countdown to the general election.”
Arase, who should have naturally succeeded ex-IGP Mohammed Abubakar, had no godfather to lobby for him.
It was learnt that once seniority was sidelined, Arase had no choice but to accept to serve under his junior (Abba) even though he enrolled into the police as Cadet ASP in 1982 compared to Abba who enrolled as a Cadet Inspector in 1984.
It was also gathered that with service years in Abba’s advantage, Arase was already planning for his retirement from police service in December 2016 when he would have clocked the mandatory service age of 35.
A top source said: “Fate really played a fast one on Arase on Tuesday. He did not lobby. He was just sitting on his desk at about 1.45 pm and saw a news scroll on a TV station announcing his appointment as the acting IGP.
“As a matter of fact, he saw it as part of the occasional slip of the press because he neither received a letter of appointment nor a phone call from anyone. He was also not invited to the Presidential Villa for any briefing.
“As the DIG (Force CID), he continued to do his work. He was confused, he did not know whether to seek clarification or not.
“The situation was more confounding as those who trooped to his office to congratulate him met cold reception because Arase was not in joyous mood at all.
“When the news of his appointment went viral, he summoned courage at about 4.30 pm and called ex-IGP Abba that he had a rumour and did not know what was happening.
“Abba also said he had heard about it and it appeared it was true. So, it was Abba that actually confirmed the obvious to Arase. At that point, Arase pledged his loyalty to Abba in and out of office and promised to sustain the ongoing reform of the police, having been part of his management team.
“Abba then asked: ‘When do you want me to handover to you?’
“Arase simply replied: ‘Sir, anytime that is convenient for you, just take your time.’
“The ex-IGP then chose Thursday. But Abba later changed his mind and handed over on Wednesday.
“Arase was shocked by his appointment because with four years left for Abba in service, he never expected he could be an IGP having been due for retirement in December 2016.”
Meanwhile, there were strong indications last night that some former Inspectors-General of Police have initiated moves to lobby the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to retain Arase as a substantive IGP because of his “meritorious records as a police reformist.”
The ex-IGPs were said to be concerned that mediocrity, godfatherism and sheer politics have made the Nigeria Police to lose three generations of well-trained police officers.
They are planning to “impress it on Buhari to restore merit” to the system by confirming the appointment of Arase.
It was gathered that more than 27 DIGs, more than 50 AIGs and Commissioners of Police (CPs) had been retired in the past five years in order to allow their juniors to become IGPs.
A former Inspector-General of Police, who spoke in confidence, said: “We will meet the President-elect Buhari to save the Nigeria Police by stabilising the system with Arase’s appointment as the substantive IGP.
“If merit is restored, the Nigeria Police will regain its lost glory. Ambition is destroying the system and it is not like this in many parts of the world.
“We have had instances when someone was an IGP and his classmate, who knew the job well, was still a Commissioner of Police. This can be discouraging because it means merit and excellent service do not count.
“There was a case of a CP, who investigated the Halliburton scandal successfully, but he was still within the lower level of the ladder while his mates became IGPs, DIGs and AIGs.
“We have also had cases of DIGs, AIGs and CPs being retired in one fell swoop to pave the way for the emergence of political IGPs. This breeds corruption in the system.
“We have no interest in Arase at personal level but we will prevail on Buhari to bail out the police and begin his reform by restoring merit and honour to the system.”
