Acting under the aegis of Junior Police Officers' Association of Nigeria, they urged the President to urgently order the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to dig into the tenure of Ehindero as the Commandant of Police College, Ikeja, Lagos State.

Copies of the petition were despatched on Thursday to The Presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly as well as police agencies in Abuja.

The group claimed to have spearheaded the one-day strike embarked upon by policemen in 2002 nationwide over alleged poor welfare, which eventually led to the exit of Mr. Musiliu Smith as the then IG.

In the petition, a copy of which was obtained by Sunday Punch, and dated January 25, 2005, the junior officers said the probe also became necessary because Ehindero could not totally absolve himself from alleged misdeeds during the tenure of the immediate past IG, Mr. Tafa Balogun.

Copies of the three-page petition, entitled: "The appointment of a befitting Inspector General of Police," were sent to the Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Masari; Office of the Minister of Police Affairs, and Chairman, Police Service Commission.

Ehindero was named as the acting IGP following the sudden retirement of Balogun from the police on January 18, 2005.

His retirement was announced in a statement issued in Abuja by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Ufot Ekaette.

Balogun's retirement followed a string of allegations of financial impropriety contained in a report submitted to President Olusegun Obasanjo, by the EFCC.

He was alleged to have diverted billions of naira meant for the police.

The junior officers, in their petition, commended the President on the retirement of Balogun, but demanded that Ehindero should not be confirmed as IG.

"We unanimously agreed to communicate this letter to you, asking you, in the name of a better Nigeria, not to confirm the appointment of Mr. Ehindero because it will be going back to square one. There will definitely be no difference from this disgraceful police force that we currently have,・they claimed.

They warned that the only way for the President to avert a repeat of the 2002 strike action by policemen in the country was to probe Ehindero, and retire him from the force.

"The strike that we embarked upon in 2002, which led to the exit of the former IG, Mr. Musiliu Smith, is still fresh in our memory.

"This action, if seen as the last resort to bring the necessary and positive changes in the police, will be carried out by members of the Nigeria Police Force. Your Excellency, this is not a threat, it has been done before, and we shall do it again, if we found it necessary."

Describing the retirement of Balogun as a "bold step" by the President, the junior officers further stated: 典he removal, which we knew was coming, gave us the courage to put on paper our recommendations on how you can effectively move the police forward with the aim of providing Nigerians better services.

典hough, you have appointed Mr. Sunday Ehindero as the acting IG, this should however, not be long before he is removed because his position should only serve as a stopgap.

"For your observation, Your Excellency, the acting IG is not better than Mr. Tafa Balogun because they all belong to the same clique. They only fell apart principally because of certain things.

"We are making this note of warning because we are very much concerned since most of us are the field officers carrying out orders from most of these corrupt top police officers.

"Secondly, the rating of the acting IG among both senior and junior officers is very low. It is doubtful if he has the loyalty of 40 per cent of the entire work force.

"When he, Mr. Ehindero, was appointed as the acting IG, our association summoned an enlarged emergency meeting, attended by most of the executives from the states, and deliberated on this, because the appointment of an IG also has to do with our lives, career and future, which we feel should not be toyed with.

"A high level probe should, as a matter of urgency, be carried out by the EFCC, against the acting IG over some of his past activities, especially at the Police College.

典he trick used by some of our bosses to deny us our rights was simple. The police would simply prepare different payment vouchers, one genuine and the other duplicated. With these, the government is made to believe that policemen are being paid based on vouchers presented.

展hereas, the payment vouchers being used are the ones prepared by the police authority as soon as the money is released. Though, we know that Mr. Ehindero is making frantic efforts through lobbying to retain the position, we are warning the President that if this is allowed to happen, it will become a big disappointment."

On their demands, the petitioners stated:

・展e ask the President, who we know means well for the country, to carry out a major shake up in the entire Nigerian Police Force for us to have a virile, ,efficient and responsive police;

・展e ask that the current acting IG and many of the top police officers, including some of the AIGs who have very terrible records, be shown the way out;

・典he appointment of a responsible and respectable police officer, who has the respect of all cadres of the force as the IG, is needed;

・展e ask His Excellency to put the position of IGP under the administrative control of the Minister of Police Affairs;

・典he Minister of Police Affairs should be mandated to work out new salaries and allowances package for all ranks in the police to serve as a morale booster. This should no longer be under the purview of the IG;

・典he Federal Government and the relevant ministries or agencies should see to the prompt promotion of both junior and senior police officers who are due for promotion without any gratification. Promotions should be carried out every three years by the Police Service Commission on merit;

・展e ask the President to put in place measures that will empower state police commissioners to promote deserving junior officers;

・展e ask the Federal Government to immediately carry out the auditing of police pensions and pay offices in the states and Abuja where high level fraud and diversion of government funds are currently going on.

典hese same offices are also enmeshed in fraudulent activities such as payment to several thousands of ghost policemen and diversion of money meant for reprimanded or dismissed officers;

・展e are making these points known to you, Your Excellency, because we have a firm belief that you are really committed to the development of Nigeria.・

It was not certain if The Presidency had received the petition by press time on Saturday as efforts to confirm that did not succeed.

All efforts to also reach the Police Affairs Minister, Mr. Fredrick Bozimo, did not succeed, but his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Anthony Okwuchafor, who spoke for him, said: "Though, the minister is yet to receive a copy of the letter, it is pertinent to state that the appointment of a substantive IG is the responsibility of the Police Council, which already has a committee for that purpose. They can either ratify the appointment of Mr. Ehindero as the IG or appoint another person. It is solely their responsibility.・

On the various allegations contained in the petition, the minister痴 spokesman said: 典he minister cannot respond to any question until he sees the petition itself. But I am sure that the relevant authorities would look into them.

徹n the welfare of officers, the minister and the Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC) have already taken bold steps to ensure that our policemen are adequately remunerated. Just a few days ago, both the minister, PSC Chairman and the acting IG met and all they were discussing for hours were how to improve the welfare of our officers and men, which I know is paramount to the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo. The ministry is currently trying its best for the police.

添ou said the concerned officers also raised the issue of how to reduce corruption. Of course, that is one of the cardinal programmes of the Federal Government and is already achieving results.・

On the call for probe, he said: "The minister holds him (Ehindero) in high esteem. He is one officer among many. For him to be appointed the acting IG shows his ability to do his job. Asking that such a man be probed, I do not know what the officers are after. The minister knows Mr. Ehindero as a man to trust, a straight forward, upright, and highly disciplined officer.

滴e will definitely perform better. The Police Council is saddled with the responsibility of either confirming his appointment or that of another person.・

Sources also said that a few days after the appointment of Ehindero as acting IG, elements opposed to his emergence commenced moves to stall his eventual confirmation as police boss.

A reliable source confirmed that Ehindero, apart from being perceived in certain quarters as one of those officers who allegedly constituted obstacles to improving the welfare of the officers and men of the force, he is seen as not being 吐riendly.・

The source, who requested not to be named, said: "It is a fact that Ehindero was among those who inflicted suffering on the men and officers of the force. If he is confirmed as IG of the Police, the force would be the worse for it.

"All the things he is trying to put in place are simply to deceive the people and enforce his agenda. He should be stopped right on his tracks," declared the source.

When contacted on Friday night for official confirmation, the Force Police Public Relations Officer (FPPRO), Superintendent of Police (SP), Emmanuel Ighodalo, denied allegations of high-handedness against the police boss.

He told Sunday Punch although he was not aware of any petition yet from the junior police officers against the acting I-G, Ehindero could not have been the person the officers painted so black.

"Since he assumed office, the IG has been involved in evolving better strategies for improving the image of the force through ensuring that corruption is eliminated completely in the force.

"Today, the IG met with all the squadron mobile units and gave N500,000(Five Hundred Thousand Naira) to each unit to enable them fuel and meet other logistics. The total units are 38 in number.

"The essence of giving out this money is to prevent any act that would make the mobile units resort to corrupt means in running activities in their units. Based on the support so far demonstrated since the emergence of the IG, there is no denying the fact that Ehindero is poised to succeed.

"The new IG is set to serve the public based on fairness and integrity. Nothing can stop him from pursuing his vision for a better Nigeria Police that is accountable and serving the public in ways acceptable to all Nigerians and as enshrined in the Constitution," Ighodalo declared.

Though he maintained that he was unaware of such a petition against the police boss, Ighodalo explained that if such a petition exists, it was clearly the imagination of a few black legs in the police that are not happy with the new wind of change sweeping across the force.

He said the Nigeria Police is irrevocably committed to evolving better methods of carrying out its constitutional responsibilities no matter whose ox was gored. He insisted that his boss was friendly and approachable and would continue to show justice and fairness to all men and officers of the force.

Ighodalo added that the polilce authorities, spearheaded by the acting IG, were already implementing most of the items said to be contained in the junior officers・petition.

This, he said, were being done without any prodding.

He said: 典he IGP and his management team of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) and the Force Secretary have already decided on the devolution of powers.・

Ighodalo specified the areas as:

・A Commissioner of Police can now promote and preside on matters of discipline of constables to sergeant majors;

・An AIG can now promote and discipline policemen from police constables to inspectors;

・The Federal Highway Patrol Outfit has been decentralised. The outfit will now be supervised by Command Commissioners of Police instead of the FHQ directly;

・Restructuring in the Police Mobile Force (PMF) to take place immediately;

・Police Mobile Force men to be withdrawn forthwith from businessmen, politicians and other people who are not really entitled to them. Those entitled to police protection would get well trained conventional policemen;

・Improved career development; salary and welfare packages are being worked out to motivate police officers and thereby promote better service delivery and discipline.

The 10-point programme agenda, he said, is to achieve effective, accountable and responsive policing in Nigeria in accordance with its motto: to serve and protect with integrity, where the nation of justice, fairness and the pursuit of the common good will be the focus.

On his part, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Mr. Leon Usigbe, could neither confirm nor deny receipt of the petition by Honorable Bello Masari, whom he said was out of the Federal Capital.

Usigbe informed Sunday Punch in a telephone interview on Saturday: 的 wouldn't know if the Honorable Speaker received the petition. He is right now out of the Federal Capital. If you had come during the week, perhaps, I would have been able to confirm from the Speaker.・

Sunday PUNCH January 30, 2005