President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed former Inspector General of Police Sulaiman Abba as the Chairman, the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.
Abba was appointed alongside the Secretary and members of the Board of Trustees of the NPTF. Abba was sacked a few days byformer President Goodluck Jonathan few days to the expiration of his administration for alleged acts that suggested split allegiance.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, who made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday, said the appointments were pursuant to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Establishment Act 2019, which empowered the President to so do.
The President also approved the appointment of Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto as the Executive Secretary of the Board.
Others appointed were Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, Representing Ministry of Police Affairs; Inspector-General of Police, Representing Nigeria Police Force; Usman Bilkisu, Representing Ministry of Justice; Ben Akabueze, Director General, Budget and National Planning, Representing Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning; Engr. Mansur Ahmed, Representing Organised Labour; and Dr. Michael Bamidele Adebiyi, Representing Civil Society Group.
Shehu added in the statement: “The above appointments are in furtherance of the Buhari administration’s commitment and drive to retooling Policing Architecture in the country by emplacing the Police Trust Fund to meet the aspiration of a well-funded, equipped and highly professional Nigeria Police Force in line with international best practices. This objective informed President Buhari’s re-establishment of the Ministry of Police Affairs on August 20, 2019.
“The President also commended state governors, members of the National Assembly and Nigerians for their patriotic and spirited efforts at reforming Policing Architecture to deepen the country’s internal security.
“The Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, will announce the inauguration date of the Board of Trustees of the Police Trust Fund.”
Abba, a former Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to the wife of a former military Head of State, Mrs Maryam Abacha, was sacked four years before he attained the formal retirement age of service.
He was 17th indigenous IG and had enlisted in the Nigerian Police as Cadet Inspector on December 31, 1984 and was due for formal retirement on March 22, 2019.
Though no official reason was given for his sudden sack the Jonathan administration, sources in the Presidency told The Guardian then that Abba had been conducting himself in ways unbecoming of a professional policeman by allegedly, lobbying for his continuity in office after May 29, 2015.
It was reported then that Jonathan was quite outraged that the former Inspector General of Police did not wait for the change of government on May 29, 2015 before changing his allegiance.
Specifically, it was alleged that he was already working with some ‘hawkish’ leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to execute their agenda.
The Presidency was said to be at a loss why Abba did not only show up on April 1, 2015 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, at an event where President-elect, Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), received his certificate of return, but in addition, but had reportedly been going to the airport to welcome Buhari on his journeys from Daura, Katsina State to Abuja since his election as President.
