5th February, 2021
By Ibukun Emiola
Political Science and International Relations experts have expressed divergent views on the three-month tenure extension for the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the appointment of the immediate past service chiefs as ambassadors.
Dr. Tunde Oseni, Head, Political Science Department, Lead City University, Ibadan, and Dr. Babatunde Oyedeji, an International relations expert from the same institution, expressed the divergent views in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Friday.
Oyedeji said it was not necessary for an extension of IGP’s tenure, since Adamu had completed his tenure, more so when there was no prior notification.
“However, there’s nothing anybody can do since the president, who has the power to hire and fire, has made his decision. The only thing we can do is to continue praying for him and Nigeria,” he said.
To Oseni, however, there is nothing strange in the extension of IGP’s tenure, as the president may still be searching for the best hand to succeed Adamu.
“I think we should always consider the position of the law, that is the Police Acts and the constitution when it comes to when an IGP should go and when his tenure should be extended.
“The constitution says the president shall appoint, but it is subject to advise by the Nigeria Police Council.
“Nevertheless, it should not be automatic for any serving IGP to have his tenure extended. We should always be proactive and look for a replacement.
“However, we must give the president the benefit of the doubt that within the next three months, a new IGP will emerge,” he said.
Oseni said that the appointment was unique, as it had never happened in the history of Nigeria that service chiefs would retire and immediately be nominated as ambassadors.
“The prerogative to appoint both career and non-career ambassadors lies with the president. He knows the best reason for nominating them for such appointments.
“Some have argued that the appointment was to serve as a soft landing for the retired service chiefs, while others are of the opinion it might be a way of rewarding them for their satisfactory performance to the president.
“Whatever might be the reason, anybody who has served as service chief has the requisite knowledge to represent the country anywhere in the world.
“The constitution gives the president the power to appoint ambassadors, subject to Senate approval and so, we cannot question the choice of the president.
The senate can, however, question it on behalf of the citizens, while the nominees too will be called to defend their capabilities to become ambassadors for Nigeria,” Oseni said.
On his own part, Oyedeji, however, saw the appointment of the former service chiefs as ambassadors as a controversial decision by the president.
“These guys (service chiefs) have just left the service after a long and tortuous debate about their continued stay in office.
“I think if there is the need to fill vacancies for foreign service, there are a lot of better-qualified people to do that, even from the political circle, with requisite experience.
NAN