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2019 election: Islamic group warns Buhari not to remove IGP Idris
By Oliseama Okwuchukwu
The Muslims Rights Concern, MURIC, has contended that it will be foolhardy to retire the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Idris Ibrahim five or six weeks to a general election.
There have been several calls recently for the appointment of a new Inspector General of Police (IGP) particularly as the tenure of the current holder of that office, Idris expired on 3rd January, 2019 after reaching the mandatory 35 years in active service.
IGP Idris was formerly appointed on 21st March, 2016.
However, the Islamic human rights organization opposed the idea of retiring the IGP at this time.
MURIC in the statement made available to DAILY POST, by its director and founder, Ishaq Akintola, a professor of Islamic Studies, blamed politicians for not thinking Nigeria.
“Election period is a very sensitive period. Anything can happen and we all know the kind of security challenges our country is facing.
“There is no doubt that IG Idris Kpotun must have perfected his strategy for maintaining law and order during the coming general election.
“Some instructions must have been given to the state commands. Certain arrangements must also have been made to put all police formations in a state of readiness.
“A new IGP around this time will naturally make one or two changes because styles differ.
“This may not really augur well because the police force needs stability and continuity in an electioneering period.
“We know that administration is a continuum but you don’t change the goal post in the middle of the game.
“Seasoned administrators know that unless there is a force majeure, it will be unwise to change the officer who planned a project at the point of implementation.
“No university will change the head of a programme on the eve of an accreditation exercise.
“We are perturbed by the rancorous voices of dissent over this matter. Interestingly enough, this IGP will not be the first whose tenure was extended.
“Chief Olusegun Obasanjo extended Sunday Ehindero’s tenure by twelve months while Musa Yaradua also extended Mike Okiro’s tenure. So what is so new this time around?
“Equally disturbing is the fact that it is mainly members of the opposition with their cronies, lackeys, court jesters and boot-lickers who are making the loudest calls. This does not look good enough.Are some people afraid of their own shadows?
“Is it the fear of past deeds? We remember that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan used the police to harass state governors.
“Is someone afraid of reprisals? We appear to be thinking of grabbing power at all cost. We are not thinking of Nigeria.
“This is exactly what is missing in our politicians today.
“There is acute desertification of statesmanship whereas the same politicians who are rooting for the victory for their political parties today will be the first to defect to another party whenever their personal and narrow interests are threatened.
“We lack loyalty, moral principle and a clearly identified political ideology.
“What we can see now is that politicians are only thinking of 2019 election whereas what we need are statesmen who will be thinking of Nigeria after the elections. Who did this to Nigeria?
“In conclusion, MURIC charges President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the tenure of IGP Ibrahim Idris far beyond the election period in order to ensure a hitch-free 2019 general elections as well as post-election stability and to ignore all protestations to the contrary.
“We urge Nigerian politicians to think Nigeria, to have faith in the system, to imbibe principled politicization and to inculcate a veritable political ideology,” he said.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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