Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar
may not get a tenure extension from President Goodluck Jonathan, it was learnt
yesterday.
Already, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has
submitted the files of two Deputy Inspectors-General (DIGs), two Assistant
Inspectors-General (AIGs) and a Commissioner of Police (CP) to the President to
enable him make a choice.
It was learnt that President Jonathan was studying the
files and may make a pronouncement any moment.
Abubakar is due for retirement on July 31. He will
proceed on retirement on that date and hand over to the most senior officer, if
the President refuses to extend his tenure before that day.
A source said: “If the President does not announce
Abubakar’s tenure extension before July 31, he will proceed on retirement. This
is because that is his terminal date in the police. If it happens that a new
IGP is not appointed, he will hand over to the most senior officer, that is the
DIG ‘A’ Department.
“He (Abubakar) cannot stay a day beyond July 31,
unless his tenure is extended. This is because all his course mates would
retire on that day. In fact, about 60 senior officers are retiring this July.”
It was also learnt that if the President is really
interested in the tenure extension of the IGP, he would not have requested fom
the PSC the files of those considered qualified for the job.
Among the DIGs being considered, one would be retiring
next year, it was learnt. The other, the source said, has about seven
years to stay in service.
The DIG has about seven more years to put in service
and is from the Northwest. The other is from Southsouth.
Sources told our reporter that the DIG from the
Southsouth may not be favoured because the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen.
Kenneth Minimah, is from that zone. His choice may mess things up for the
President. He is also said to be a loyalist of a former military leader from
the North.
Of the two shortlisted AIGs, one is highly
educated and a respected detective, who was a Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to
three former IGPs. He is from Edo State, the Southsouth. He is also said to be
highly favoured among those shortlisted.
The other AIG, it was learnt, is from Niger State in
the Northcentral. He was a Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and was in
Lagos State as the supervising CP during 2007 elections.
The sources said the only police commissioner on the
list is a former controversial Rivers State police chief.
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