Pushed to the wall over state police ( 2)
SECTION 110-( 1) Power to appoint persons to hold or act in offices in the Nigeria Police Force ( including power to make appointments on promotion, transfer and to confirm appointments). To dismiss and to exercise disciplinary control over person holding or acting in such offices shall vest in the Police Service Commission of the Federation:
Provided that the Commission may, with the approval of the Prime Minister and subject to such conditions as it may think fit, delegate any of its powers under this section to any of its members or to the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police or any other member of the Nigeria Police Force. ( 2) Before making any appointment to the office of Inspector- General of the Nigeria Police or removing the Inspector- General from office the Police Service Commission of the Federation shall consult the Prime Minister, before making any appointment to the office of Commissioner of Police of a Region or removing the Commissioner from office, the Commission shall consult the Premier of the Region.
On assuming power on January 15, 1966, General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi- Ironsi ( March 3, 1924- July 29, 1966) from Umuahia, promulgated Decree 7 of 1966. It was the decree that absorbed all the Regional and local government Police into the Nigeria Police Force. The decree is called The Special Constables Decree.
The purpose of the decree is to modernise the law relating to the Nigeria Special Constabulary by repealing the Special Constables Act 1959 and replacing it with a Decree under which the Special Constabulary will form part of the Nigeria Police.
The decree has eleven sections. Section one— deals with the creation of the Nigeria- Special Constabulary as part of the Nigeria Police Force and what constitutes the special constabulary. Section two— deals with appointments of special constables in normal circumstances. Section three— deals with resignation, suspension and dismissal of special constables.
Section four- deals with appointment of emergency special constables. Section five- deals with provisions supplementary to section four. Section six- deals with equipment. While Section seven— deals with instruction of special constable, Section eight— deals with allowance, pay, pension and gratutity.
Section nine—- deals with interpretation and Section Ten— deals with repeal of Special Constables Act 1959 and revocation of Government Notice No. 1598 ( Approval of Maximum Personnel Establishment, Special Constables Training and Allowance) Regulation 1960. Section Eleven— deals with citation, extent and commencement to the Decree which shall come into force on such date as the Executive Council may be order published in the Gazette appoint.
In addition, General Ironsi promulgated Decree No. 3 of 1966. The decree deals with the detention of certain specified persons in the interest of security of Nigeria for a period nor exceeding six months in such place or places as the Head of the National Military Government may from time to time direct.
Persons so detained are entitled to make representations in writing to the National Military
Government which may if it thinks fit constitute a tribunal for that purpose under conditions laid down in the decree. The decree suspends chapter III of the Constitution.
On Friday January 28, General Ironsi addressed the nation during which he declared that “I have abolished the offices of Agents- General in London”.
When General Yakubu Dan- Yumma “Jack” Gowon GCFR ( 89) assumed power in August 1966, he maintained the status quo of the Nigeria Police as the sole authority in charge of our security. However, in September 1966, he inaugurated an ad hoc constitutional committee to determine Nigeria’s future. The Nigeria Police Force was one of the key issues discussed at the conference.
The Western and Lagos delegation was led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo GCFR who earlier in September was named the Leader of the Yorubas in Ibadan by the Leaders of Thought including the traditional rulers and prominent Yoruba elders at an event presided over by Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo, the then Governor of Western Region. It was the first and last time any Yoruba Leader was declared leader of the Yorubas. Other Western delegates at the ad hoc Constitutional Conference were Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, Professors Hezekiah Oluwasanmi, Ayo Ogunseye, Sam Aluko and Akin Mabogunje. The Northern delegation was led by Sir Kashim Ibrahim. Other members from the north were Alhaji Inua Wada, Sir Aminu Kano, Chief Joseph Sarwuan Tarka, Alhaji Abdul Razak and Chief Josiah Sunday Olawoyin.
The Eastern delegation was led by Professor Eni
Njoku. Other members from the East include Chief C. C. Mojekwu, Chief E. Eyo and Chief Matthew Mbu. The Midwest delegation was led by Chief Eromosele Anthony Enahoro. Other members of the delegation were Chief Edwin Clark, Chief J. I. G. Onyia and Dr. Mudiaga Odje. The Midwest delegation was assisted by Chief T. E. A. Salubi, Dr. Christopher Okojie and Dr. D. P. Lawani. Chief Edwin Clark will be 97 on May 25.
On the issue of the police, the following was agreed at the conference.
There shall be a Nigeria Police Force which shall be organised in Regional units composed entirely in each Region of personnel indigenous to that Region ( 2) The operational control of the units in each Region shall be the responsibility of the Regional Commissioner of Police.
N. B. There were some disagreements on the right of the Regional Government to give directions to the Regional Commissioner as follows: ‘ Directions with respect to the maintaining and securing of safety and public order within the Region or any part thereof may be given to the Regional Commissioner of Police by the Head of the Regional Government and the Regional Commissioner shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with; provided that before carrying out any such directions which may involve the use of arms the Commissioner may request that the matter should be referred to the Police Council for their direction.’
The East proposed that the words ‘ Police Council’ should be replaced by the words ‘ Regional Security Committee’ in order to bring it into line with the corresponding arrangements in the case of the Army.