MOVING FORWARD POLICE LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA CANNOT BE SIMULTANEOUSLY PLAYED DISHONESTLY AND HONESTLY, IGP ABBA AS A CASE STUDY

The general perception is that the abrupt and unceremonious removal of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba from the leadership of the Nigeria police force was because he chose to do the right thing at this time unlike when he did not elect to do the right things in all situations.

Here in this discourse, it is essential to know that this Psychologist has never met IGP Abba personally, professionally, or therapeutically, as such, this writing is purely from the point of leadership discourse.  Abba apparently, assured the Jonathan administration that he was going to fully practice the Abacha style of policing and for that promise he got the leadership job.

In an antagonistic and unwavering way, Abba, a former Aide-De-Camp, to the wife of a former military Head of State, late Sani Abacha, would become that police leader under whose watch constitutionally elected lawmakers of the oppositional party to that of President Jonathan would resort to scaling a fence at a great personal risk just to gain entry into the parliament.

In an adamant way, we all remembered how Abba, refused to recognize the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in terms of title, calling him “Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal”, while testifying on the closure of the National Assembly's gate before members‎ of the House Committee on Police Affairs .

For these disorderly acts, and his Abacha-like style to law enforcement, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, piled praises on Abba, for discharging “his duty”.

While still under the super political heat from the Jonathan Presidency, Abba, apparently, for good reasons or for other inner motives remembered how on August 1st, 2014, in his maiden address to the men and officers of the Force upon taking over the police leadership from his predecessor, Mohammed Abubakar, asserted, “My vision is to make the Nigeria Police Force a leading national, professional, and efficient law enforcement organization. A police force that is dynamic, robust and efficient; one that never rests or abdicates its professional duty…”

Again, Abba would face another multilayered test, as Jonathan's election and other elections were fast approaching, and he would apparently find himself being instructed to carry out the elections productively, for the ruling party, President Jonathan's election, especially by any means possible.

But for personal or professional reasons, this time, Abba, refused to compromise and was ready to pay the price for not invoking the Abacha style of policing again, and again.

Abba, as the chief law enforcement of the nation seemingly revisited his oat of police ethics, openly played neutral during the national elections, and chose to undermine the non-democratic scripts and malicious plans met for the election, in the area of security especially.

Abba may have chosen to unconsciously and consciously work towards the side of the oppositional party as they seem more sympathetic to average Nigerians than to continue working with the ruling party that was more concerned about themselves and no one else.

Abba, in his first few months in office, fully capitulated to the manipulative pressures of the Jonathan administration, and opted to offer himself to unlawful and unconstitutional acts, and to inappropriately interfere with the internal matters of the nation's legislature.

Abba, in a selfish way might have wooed the incoming administration, which is expected of him as such is the nature of our egotistical side, so it was not a surprise to see him at the National Collation Centre with Buhari or at the airport receiving the President-elect.

If Abba, really believes he initially acted as a political stool or political prostitute for personal interest under the Jonathan regime but at the end, chose to take a neutral position as part of his oath of office during the elections, let him tell his story to those that matters now.

His fate is now in the hands of the incoming presidency, as to whether to let his sudden exit stand or return him at least for a while as many Nigerians believe that at the end, he made sure that the police force was non-partisan during the entire election period.

***Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi is a Forensic/Clinical Psychologist, a Consultant in National Psychology, and a former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association.

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