By Tonye Clinton Jaja
Loyalty is a very rare quality to find these days amongst humans. So it is understandable and perfectly natural that Mr. President would want to reward the current Inspector-General of Police (IGP) who previously served as his Aide-de-camp (ADC) during his regime as Governor of Lagos State (1999 to 2007).
If I were in his shoes, I would do the same!!! At the time, when I was appointed as the Chairman of the Governing Board of a federal government agency, I appointed as my Personal Assistant (PA) an old time friend whom I could trust with my life. Someone who was already familiar with my “modus operandi” and who even in the pain of death would take my secrets to the grave!!!
I wasn’t alone in this practice. The Chief Executive Officer-CEO of the same federal government agency where I was Chairman, also came to seek approval for his former classmate and friend of over 30 years to be appointed as a staff of the federal government agency.
However, due to the extant federal government Rules and Regulations that prohibits anyone above fifty (50) years to be appointed for the first time into the civil or public service, we (Governing Board) declined his request. However, the said former friend and classmate of the said CEO was given approval to be appointed as a Special Adviser (equivalent of a consultant) to the said CEO.
The morale of this foregoing story is that there are a thousand and one ways or alternative methods to compensate a loyal friend or family relative without breaking the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, or other relevant laws or even assaulting public morality.
Take for instance, Section 4(i) of the Police Act, 2020 which provides thus: “The police force shall vet and approve the registration of private detective schools and private investigative outfits.”
Mr. President (through the Ministry of Police Affairs) could have awarded the contract to the IGP, (upon his attaining the age of retirement in September 2024) to be a consultant to provide training of all police detectives using a private detective academy which he would have registered upon his retirement.
Alternatively, the President in his capacity as the Minister of Petroleum could award the retired IGP (whom Sowore has given the sobriquet-“ILLEGAL IGP) the pipeline security contract (to cover areas of the Niger Delta that are not currently covered by “Tompolo”)!!!
Mr. President could also award the said “IGP” (upon his retirement in September 2024) the contract to train members of the Nigerian Police who are to be deployed as undercover detectives to the regions of Nigeria that are currently under either the control or terror-attack of Boko Haram and other terrorists!!!
Not to mention the very lucrative contract of training detectives of the Nigerian Police on the tactics of how to detect and apprehend Nigerians who are committing different Cybercrimes such as insulting both top government officials (and their relatives) on online platforms. This is an area that sufficient cognate experience has been gathered prior to the date of retirement in September 2024.
The list could go on and on!!!
Tonye Clinton Jaja,
Executive Director,
Nigerian Law Society (NLS).
