The scene witnessed in Benue state by the media, traditional rulers, government officials, elders of the state and stakeholders, gave many food for thought and to numerous others with military background must have felt goose pimples. It was the response of President Muhammadu Buhari who is the Commander in Chief of Nigeria Armed forces. His belated condolence visit to the government and people of Benue state who are bereaved due to the heartless massacred of their sons and daughters by marauding armed herdsmen on New Year, not withstanding, speak volume. After listening to the cries and vituperation of the people through their elders, they added that the activity of the lnspector General of Police, Mr ldris lbrahim did not help matters. They specifically drew the attention of the listening President to the fact that even when the President directed the lGP to “ relocate” to Benue until there was normalcy, this was not heeded to. They swore to the President that the lGP did not actually relocate but instead went to Nasarawa state and assigned the work to the DIG operations. In his response, the disturbed President simply told the people that he was utterly surprised to hear that one of his appointee could flout his directive. Unknown to the president, that response of his recibrated all across the country and even beyond.
It is very rare to hear that a security chief could have the gut to flout the order of his Commander-in-Chief just like that without fear of its repercussion.
When the insurgency was getting heightened, and it seems like the terrorist sect were almost having the upper hand, it was the same President that directed the Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Bruati to “relocate”. to the war zone. This was immediately complied with. In the case of ldris, he may be thinking that his visit to Nasarawa was also important. Such assumption is simply an act of disobedience. You cant claim more knowledge of a situation than the person who sent you on an erran. Even if Nasarawa was about to boil, the President as the father of the nation determines where to send his appointees and when. Not the other way round. In the face of simple logic, one would have expected the lGP to comply with the President’s directive rather than playing up excuses with Nasarawa. Apparently, if there was an urgent need to visit Nasarawa, he should have either communicated such to his principal or dispatch his deputy to Nasarawa. That ldris Katung lbrahim only stepped into Benue state and left almost immediately to Nasarawa tantamount to flagrant disobedience and exhibition of incompetence. On the other hand, if one should ask a simple question: “Doesn’t the president know what disobedience and disloyalty is all about and it’s consequences in the security community? Must Nigerians be told that the president’s appointee flouted his directives. The president should have done the needful, which is to had instantly fire him and look for a capable replacement. lbrahim ldris knows what he was doing. He fully understands the implications of his action. This is what familiarity attracts between a boss and his appointee. That your commander-in-Chief directed you to do something and you in turn sent your subordinate depicts absolute disregard to authority. What would have happened had the Chief of Army staff despatched his deputy after the president directive? The president knows the implication of the action of the lGP, but l do not know, however, if the president also understand the tripling effect of what he is glossing over. Disobedience is a Court Marshal sin. Even God strongly frowns at disobedience and there are instances in the holy book where such act are meted with severe punishment. When leaders like ldris get away after flouting a presidential directive, then, the words of late Chinua Achebe may be correct. When he said, “ the center cannot hold.”
It is on record that many state commissioners of Police under ldris have either been removed or transferred to police colleges for being disobedient. One thing Is clear, and that is that, the president represents Nigerians and his directives is the directive of the people of Nigeria. That Mr. ldris flouted the president directive means that ldris disobeyed Nigerians whose money is used to pay not only his salary but his entire comfort. No matter how the president tries to later cover this issue, it may depicts him as being weak or there is a bond between the president and Mr. ldris that is not known to many, that could have embolden him to flagrantly disobey the directive of the president of Nigeria.
Tribute to first lgbo female police commissioner
Mrs. Angelina lkechi Egbuka retired as commissioner of police in 1997 but her intelligent agility and fantastic professional track record made Governor Achike Udenwa of lmo state, to appoint her as his security adviser in 2003. Our path crossed each other in 1985 as the Chief correspondent of National Concord Newspaper. Then she was the Divisional police officer (DPO) at Abakpa Nike, Enugu State. Interestingly, my residence was adjacent to the police station. Her interest in newspapers especially National Concord attracted her to me and my other correspondent colleagues. Our visit to her office became an every Friday routine as we all use her office as our meeting point to discuss the security of the state. One major interest was the pepper soup she buys for us.
Her advice on security issues have stucked with me over the years.
On one instance, l had a publication clash with the state security service (SSS) that led to my arrest, but for her wonderful advice, l was able to extricate myself from their dragnet although l lost my Alsatian dog that was shot dead at my door step. DPO “ Angel” as we used to call her, was the person who personally investigated the incident and lectured me on how to relate cordially with security agencies. Her lecture series have helped me over the years in the course of my journalistic carrier. l discovered that apart from my clashes with security agencies in Enugu, l have not had any with security agencies the way l had in Enugu. Her motherly advice helped me. It was later that l gathered that she was a lecturer at the Police College. The Nigeria Police have lost a rare model. One hopes that other female senior police officers from lgbo land will emulate the starling qualities of Mrs. Egbuka, the mother of female police officers from lgbo land. Rest peacefully the elegant stallion of the Nigeria police.