The Nigeria Police Council on Tuesday confirmed Solomon Arase as the substantive Inspector-General of Police, even as President Jonathan offered insight into reasons why the immediate past IGP, Mr Suleiman Abba, was fired.
Arase was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan after the former Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, was unceremoniously removed from office by the President. No reason was adduced, but reports pointed to disloyalty and breach of protocol as part of the sins of the immediate past police boss.
The new IG has promised to upgrade the welfare of members of the Nigerian Police Force.
Speaking to State House correspondents on his new status! the new IGP said motivation is a key to increase productivity and this is a reason he has made it a topmost priority.
The Police Inspector-General also gave an assurance that he would bring crime rate to a lowest minimum through strategies and inputs expected of his men at this time.
He, however, affirmed the removal of road blocks from highways in Nigeria.
The IGP had warned during a meeting with Commissioners of Police in Abuja that the command of any jurisdiction where roadblocks are found would be held liable and swiftly dealt with in line with Police rules and regulations.
According to him, a 16-team task force has now been mandated to comply with his directives on the removal of the road blocks which he had earlier referred to as public nuisances and points of corruption.
Chairman of Police Service Commission and former IGP, Sir Mike Okiro, said the council discussed issues bordering on security and how to ensure that Nigerians live in peace.
Okiro, on why Abba was sacked, said going by the explanation President Jonathan gave when one of the governors raised the question, the rank and file under him were very undisciplined.
He said, “I may not attempt to answer that question because I’m not part of the Presidency that removed him, so I cannot give adequate answer. Though at the meeting, he tried to explain to members, based on the question raised by one of the governors that Nigerians may want to know why the former IGP was removed.
“The President, very briefly said, during the period of the former IGP, a lot of indiscipline was noticed among the rank and file of the police and as such, he felt that a new IGP should come and try his luck. That is what he said, though I cannot give details of that.”
Mr Arase holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Law, Political Science and Strategic Studies.
He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.
