By ABIODUN AZI

A rights group, Human Right Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), has faulted the passage of Police Act Amendment Bill, which allows the Inspector- General of Police to remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in his letter of appointment.

Mr Buna Balogun, HURMA’s Executive Director, faulted the passage of the bill at a news conference on Friday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Senate and the House of Representatives had recently passed the bill.

The bill, an executive one, allows any occupant of the Office of the Inspector-General of Police to remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in his letter of appointment.

The bill also seeks to increase the service year/retirement age of personnel by five years , reduce the cost of training and recruiting new officers with a view to addressing the issue of shortage of experienced police personnel.

Balogun said the bill was in conflict with the long-standing civil service rule ,which mandates retirement of workers on attainment of the age of 60 years or after 35 years in service.

The director added that the extension of the I-G’s tenure and increase in retirement age of police personnel would affect career progression in the police force.

Balogun said the group was worried that the present I-G, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, had not gone on terminal leave, a month to the time he was due for retirement.

He said Egbetokun would attain the mandatory retirement age of 60 years in September and that he should have handed over to the next officer in rank, especially as the bill had not been assented to.

Balogun said the Police Act Amendment Bill was full of flaws and that it would harm professionalism and morale in the police force.

According to him, if the bill is signed into law, it will most likely be challenged in court.

“Based on the foregoing, we plead with the President to use his enormous constitutional powers to save Nigeria police from the internal conspiracy and disloyalty among the officers, rank and file of the force that may arise as a result of compromise of career progression, particularly, at a time like this that our great country is very fragile.

“The best decision for Mr. President in the circumstance, is to withhold his consent to the Amendment Bill of Police Act, 2020, passed by the National Assembly as it is self-serving and unpatriotic” he said.

Balogun commended Tinubu for ensuring transparency in the appointment of a new Head of Service and selection of a new Chief Justice of the Federation.

He urged him to replicate same in the police force and other strategic offices and agencies.

“Mr. President has demonstrated strength of character in the most recent seamless and noiseless succession plans of the Head of Service of the Federation and the Chief Justice of the Federation.

“We state that there should not be an exception to the police institution.

“Our organisation has written Mr. President to register our complaint against the untidy Amendment Bill of Police Act, 2020, passed by the National Assembly without public hearing in line with its extant rules.

“We have notified Mr. President about our intention to approach a court of competent jurisdiction in ventilating our grievances to ensure justice in the process of appointment of Inspector General of Police,” Balogun said. (NAN)

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