RINGIM MAY BE MOST UNPOPULAR IGP EVER APPOINTED IN NIGERIA

Dear Editor,

RINGIM MAY BE MOST UNPOPULAR IGP EVER APPOINTED IN NIGERIA

Judging from antecedents and how the present Inspector General of Police was appointed, he might as well not offer anything better than his predecessors.

For the ‘love’ of Igbos, President Goodluck Jonathan retired former IGP Ogbonna Onovo after one year in office. A low ranked AIG Hafiz Ringim became the new IG; leading to retirement, prematurely, those DIGs senior to Ringim. If not for politics, nepotism, selfishness and favoritism, the President would not have saved those senior AIGs who ordinarily supposed to be retired as well. Undertaking must have been extracted from them to serve loyally under their junior, Ringim.  When the name ‘Ringim’ was first mentioned as the new IGP, some newspapers posted the picture of then DIG Ringim as the man; unknown to them that the President had his homework properly crafted to benefit as reward a junior AIG who helped him along the line.

What qualified Hafiz Ringim for the new post: The new acting IG Ringim was the Bayelsa Police Commissioner who, in concert with Goodluck Jonathan, then deputy governor, arrested and handcuffed former Bayelsa Governor Alameyesiegha and in that condition flew him to Abuja where he was detained; that gave rise to Jonathan assuming substantive Bayelsa governor. All those action were Obasanjo’s plot. Little wonder that Governor Peter Odili, originally designated vice-president to Yar’Adua, was replaced (last minute) by Obasanjo’s confidant, Jonathan.

What are the other issues with Hafiz Ringim: Then AIG Ringim controlled the zone that oversees the South-East Police Commands. Did he perform creditably? The answer is very clear; No. Abia State, Ringim’s base while overseeing the zone became worse with kidnappings, assassinations and armed robberies; the criminal activities in South-East became clearly worse. Another thing is that the same Abia (as if only State in the south-east) is where the two new DIGs, the Immigration Comptroller-General, the Chief of Army Staff are from. It is alleged that the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, insisted on those appointments because Abia is her maternal home.

Are Nigerians and government not thinking at all towards eradicating nepotism and mediocrity?

Dr. Terry Imama, 367 Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.