The recent revelation that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, disobeyed the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari, to relocate to Makurdi over the recent clash between the herdsmen and farmers, which claimed many innocent souls speaks volumes on how the president is not firmly on ground as even his surbodinates are not showing him respect and at the same time disobeying him even if he gives directive for an action to be taken.
It is even becoming clearer by the day, that President Buhari is fast losing grip of his powers, even to the extent of cautioning his subordinates, who flout his directives on what needs to be done.
Clearly, the president is at the receiving end as his lieutenants are virtually on their own. A sterling example is the recent case of IGP Idris who ignored Buhari’s directive to relocate to Benue in the wake of the killings by Fulani herdsmen. In the whole world as at today, it is only in Nigeria that a president would issue a directive and the directive is not obeyed. The level of disobedience in the present administration has reached unprecedented levels.
The disdain exhibited by the IGP to the President’s directive goes to show that Buhari is not fully in charge of running the affairs of the country. It is baffling, that a serving Inspector-General of Police would have the gut and audacity to disobey his boss, who appointed him.
These developments have made people have a strong misgiving Buhari is not the one running the affairs of this great country. It is unbelievable that principal officers of the present administration do not care or follow the instruction and directive of their principal.
In fact, it is worth saying that nearly three years on the saddle, President Buhari is yet to stamp his feet as a sitting president.
The approach and disposition of most of the aides of the President in giving effect to his directives is a source of concern to a lot of people in this great country.
It is imperative that Buhari must exercise his authority over certain issues that border on the integrity of his aides, who are bent on denting his hard-earned reputation, built over the years.
The attitude of the levity shown to the president’s directive by the IGP was a clear act of insubordination ever done by a top level personnel in the history of this great country.
The president should be reprimanded by the President to serve as a deterrent to others with similar character. It does not speak well for an aide duly appointed by the President Muhammadu Buhari to behave the way the IGP did. He deserves to be reprimanded.
► Usman Santuraki wrote from Jimeta, Yola, Adamawa State.