Police Council Confirms Arase as IG
Indiscipline caused Abba’s sack, says Okiro
Jaiyeola Andrews The Police Council yesterday confirmed Mr. Solomon Arase as the substantive Inspector General of Police (IG).
The new IG was appointed April in acting capacity after the former IG, Mr. Suleiman Abba, was sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and former IG, Mike Okiro, who spoke to State House correspondents, said high level of indiscipline among the rank and file of the force was the main reason Abba was sacked by the president.
On what was discussed at the Police Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa and presided over by Jonathan, Okiro told journalists that “the president, in a very brief way, said during the period of the former IG, a lot of indiscipline was noticed among the rank and file of the police and as such, he felt that a new IG should come and try his luck. That is what he said, though I cannot give details of that.”
Arase, who also spoke to State House correspondents after the meeting, confirmed his elevation which he said would be dedicated to improving the welfare of men and officers of the force for effective civil security.
“I have just been confirmed,” he said.
According to him, members of the council deliberated extensively on the state of security in the country and what strategies that need to be taken to addressing them.
“We talked about the security challenges we have and our strategic responses to addressing those challenges. I can assure Nigerians that we are going to address these issues,” he said.
Arase explained that in tackling the challenges of insecurity, the police, under his watch, would ensure that crime is brought to at least a tolerable level.
“I don’t think it is the worst security situation we are facing. There is no society that is actually crime-free but we are trying to ensure that it is within tolerable level. It is not as bad as the public perception,” he said.
On what he would expected from men and officers of the force, the IG said he had already put in place measures to improve their welfare as incentive to motivate them to perform optimally.
“To my men, I will tell them that their welfare will be number one on my cardinal responsibilities. You don’t motivate a workforce except their welfare is paramount. I’m going to ensure that their welfare is going to be put on the front burner.
“To Nigerians, I know that their expectations are high but I can assure them that no Nigerian will suffer any injustice by my inaction or action,” the IG added.
He said the police are also putting measures to ensure strict compliance with his order on ban of road blocks across the country.
“We already have an enforcement policy in place. Sixteen teams have moved out across the country to ensure there is strict compliance to that order,” he added.
Okiro had also told journalists that issues that border on security were discussed at the meeting and how to ensure that Nigerians live in peace in order to ensure that their security are assured.
He said the coming on board of the new IG was geared towards achieving this goal.
According to him, the policies and programmers put in place are promoted by the new police hierarchy.
Until his appointment as Abba’s replacement, Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.