Police not a tribal organisation - Okiro

From Chris Agbambu and Qudirat Hakeem-Apanpa - 19.02.2009

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro, on Wednesday said that the Nigerian police is not a religious, tribal, political organisation or trade union.

The IGP gave the warning while parading seven policemen who were tried and dismissed for attempting to destabilise the force through trade union activities, saying the police was a disciplined organisation which had ways of channeling grievances.

The IGP, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Training, Uba Ringin, while briefing newsmen, said police authorities did not recognise membership of any union, as the 1999 Constitution stipulated that “policemen cannot be members of any union outside the police.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Okiro has mapped out a nine-point agenda to combat crime in the country, to make living convenient for the citizens.

He said this when delivering a lecture at the 2009 peace lecture entitled “Peace and Development: Issues in Democracy,” organised by the Peace and Conflict Studies Students Association (PACSSA), held at the Conference Centre, University of Ibadan (UI), on Wednesday.

According to him, the agenda would be fully implemented to prevent crime option in line with the United Nations (UN) guidelines.
Okiro, who was represented by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Fraud Related Offences, Mr. Walter Rugbere, said Nigerians would see a different police force soon based on the implementation of the agenda.