The Coalition of Ethnic Nationalities for The Atiku Agenda has commended the new Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, for retaining the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohinmi, and replacing Jimoh Moshood as the Force’s image maker.
Of Moshood, CENTAA declared that the sacked Force Public Relations Officer was a misfit for terming Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State a “drowning man” on live television after the politician raised dust over the killing of 72 indigenes by herdsmen last year.
Recalling that it had earlier protested the posting by the last IGP, Ibrahim Idris, of Kayode Egbetokun as replacement for Imohinmi, the group said the change of guard in Lagos would have created terrible credibility issues for the police.
A statement in Lagos on Thursday by CENTAA’s President, Adeoye Jolaosho, described the new IG’s twin decisions, including appointing Frank Mba as the new FPRO, as a positive sign that Adamu was ready to reposition the Force as a responsive, reliable and responsible security organisation that was prepared to safeguard the 2019 polls.
The group said the suspicion that Egbetokun would pander to the whims of the ruling All Progressives Congress, whose National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he had served as Chief Security Officer and in various other capacities.
“For the last IGP to have hurriedly effected that last-minute posting of a new CP to Lagos was most insensitive, especially knowing fully well the subject’s pro-Tinubu antecedent. It created room for suspicion that Egbetokun, as the state’s foremost security officer, would play a key role in executing a well-crafted pro-APC rigging script. We could not afford to take chances and we cried out,” Jolaosho said.
He commended the new IGP for dousing such fears by reversing the appointment.
“Otherwise, it would have left room to feelings that the police security apparatus had been ceded to APC to the discomfiture and detriment of rival parties and opposition figures,” CENTAA said.
According to CENTAA, Moshood’s downsizing from the post of FPRO served as a good omen for the Force.
CENTAA recalled several instances where the sacked FPRO danced to the tune of his controversial former IG “against the dictates of professionalism, decorum and common sense”.
“Moshood was a classic model of how not to spin Public Relations for a corporate organisation like the Nigeria Police Force,” Jolaosho said, adding: “His exit is good riddance. His exit fitting closes a terrible era in policing. He will be remembered for behaving like the proverbial foolish housefly whose carelessness caused it to be buried with the smelly corpse.”
Wishing the new IGP and FPRO successful tenures, CENTAA counselled that they should strive to position the Nigeria Police Force for a historically positive role in the 2019 elections.
“As they say, ‘Soldier go, Soldier come, but barracks remains,’ they must realise that their service is to Nigeria and not to any particular individual, party or interest,” CENTAA counselled.
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