Buhari’s Appointment Of Baba As IGP Unconstitutional, Nepotistic –Ozekhome
Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has described as unconstitutional and nepotistic, the appointment of Usman Alkali Baba as appearing Inspector-General of Police.
Ozekhome mentioned this in a declaration made reachable to The PUNCH on Wednesday titled, ‘Buhari’s Northernisation Of The Nigeria Police Force’.
Star Tv has previously said that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), via the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammad Dingyadi, had on Tuesday appointed Baba to prevail Mohammed Adamu.
Adamu, whose tenure ended in February after completion of his obligatory 35 years of service, obtained a three-month extension by way of the President however he had solely spent about two months out of the three-month extension when he was once replaced.
Reacting, Ozekhome, who had until now kicked in opposition to the extension of the tenure of Adamu, stated going with the aid of “paragraph 7 to the third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, the President can't single-handedly appoint an IGP, as he has once more unconstitutionally and illegally done.
“He can solely do so in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Council sing of Mr President as chairman, all the 36 country Governors, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission and the IGP.
“Such an appointment as simply occurred earlier than the new Acting IGP is capricious, arbitrary, whimsical, unconscionable, illegal, unlawful, wrongful and unconstitutional. It eulogises sturdy guys as a substitute than robust institutions.
“Today, Buhari has once more appointed DIG Usman Alkali Baba, a Northern Muslim, as Acting Inspector General of Police, to exchange Adamu Mohammad, any other Northern Muslim. With Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, some other Northern Muslim as the Minister of Police Affairs, the circle of policing in Nigeria is complete.”
Continuing the human rights legal professional wrote, “By the way, can’t President Muhammadu Buhari for once, simply for once, in his opaque appointments appear past his faith and on the spot and forsake sectionalism, cronyism, prebendalism, tribalism, favoritism, and act as a real statesman?
“Is he in reality pronouncing he can't believe any of the different over 15 million Nigerians who voted for him, or that he can't locate any of them that is certified to be made an IGP? I thinking gleefully instructed Nigerians on twenty ninth May, 2015, whilst taking his first oath of office, that he was once for “everybody and for nobody”? So, Buhari had absolutely deceived Nigerians and is desecrating his solemn oath of office?
“Is Buhari telling Nigerians that underneath his governance, Nigerians are certainly dwelling in the Federal Republic of the North, or Northern Republic of Nigeria, or Republic of Northern Nigeria, or Northern Nigeria Republic, Republic of Northern Nigeria and Other Vassal States ? I can’t decode Buhari’s defiant refusal to recognize the Federal Character precept enshrined in part 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution. Or, can you?”