Former Inspectors-General of Police (IGPs), Sunday Ehindero (left); Aliyu Attah; Mike Okoro; Ogbonnaya Onovo and Hafiz Ringim, during the retreat for Committee of Retired Inspectors-General of Police, organised by Oyo State Government in Ibadan… yesterday.
Retired Inspectors-General of Police have decried balkanisation of police duties in the country.
The former police chiefs, who spoke during a two-day retreat for them, said the crux of their gathering was to brainstorm on the dwindling functions of the force and proffer path for effective policing across the federation.
Erstwhile IGP Ogbonaya Onovo noted: “This conference is first of its kind and it plans to hold once in every three months, to review activities of the force and suggest to government and the hierarchy an advanced police institution that the country deserves. With this kind of conference, with the serving IGP, he will be able to know what the public wants of the police, and how to go about it. Ours is to recommend. We are no longer serving. So, when none of our recommendations is implemented, when next we meet, we harp on it.
In his remarks, Sunday Ehindero said: “Today, we interacted with the IGP so that he may learn from us how we policed the country during our time. We shared our experiences and expectations, and we all agreed that the time has come for the retired IGPs not to remain docile. It’s time to contribute to good governance in the country. There are many challenges the police is facing, don’t forget that crime is dynamic. In Our days, what we faced was armed robbery, but today, we have banditry, cybercrime, kidnapping, terrorism and sit-at-home in some places.
“Crime will always occur, but it is the ability of the police to thrive in the midst of chaos, ¬ that is the hallmark of policing. And we are sure the present IGP is well-equipped for these challenges.”
To the Chairman of Committee of Retired IGP, Aliyu Attah, the panel is like a pressure group with interest of the police at heart, adding: “Once a policeman, always a policeman. We want to wake the curiosity about the service itself among the populace. We want to wake it up again because it appears the profession has been balkanised and taken over by other organisations like the Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. (NDLEA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and what have you.”
the guardian