Top Nigerian Police Officers, Ministry, Others Resist Police Chief Egbetokun’s Controversial Push For Personnel Tenure Extension, Just Months Before His Retirement

 

A proposed bill to extend the tenure of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other officers by five years failed to gain support from stakeholders at a hearing held by the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

The bill, aimed at amending the Nigeria Police Act 2020, seeks to increase the retirement age of police officers from 60 to 65 years and their tenure of service from 35 to 40 years.

Inside sources told SaharaReporters that the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, who is set to retire by September 2024, is behind the bill and has allocated a significant amount of funds to lobby for its passage.

However, stakeholders remain unconvinced, and the bill’s future remains uncertain.

The proposed extension of the service year and retirement age for police officers met with widespread criticism from key stakeholders, including the Police Service Commission (PSC), the Ministry of Police Affairs, and the National Salaries and Wages Commission during the public hearing.

SaharaReporters also learnt that the senior police officers were angered by the move, which have been described as selfish.

The Ministry of Police Affairs in its submission warned that implementing the extension would have unintended and far-reaching consequences, detrimental to the overall health and operations of the police force. Moreover, it would set a dangerous precedent for other agencies, such as the military and paramilitary organisations.

The ministry also argued that increasing the service years of police personnel would lead to stagnation, hindering progress and innovation within the force, while also negatively impacting motivation and adaptability.

Therefore, the National Assembly must carefully consider the long-term effects on the police force’s effectiveness and efficiency before making such significant changes, it submitted.

A memorandum signed by Ibrahim Muhammad, Director, Police Services Department for the Minister, stated: “in the face of the nation’s biting economic situation, to extend the service years of Police Officers will only increase the cost of governance which the Federal Government is striving to cut.

“In order to cater for the retained officers, budgetary provisions will have to be made to accommodate their remuneration and allowances in addition to cost of training and retraining which is mandatory for all Police Officers.

“Though the need for the proposed Bill to extend the service years of Police Officers is understandable, the inadvertent consequences will be more detrimental to the healthy operation of the Police Force. Moreover, if this Bill is allowed to succeed, we will end up setting bad precedence for other agencies such as the Military and other Para- Military agencies to also advocate.

“…the proposed amendment to increase the service years of personnel within the Nigeria Police Force would not only stagnate the system and hinder progression but also have wider implications on motivation, innovation, and adaptability within the force. It is crucial to consider the long-term impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of the police force before making such significant changes.

“We urge the Committee to reconsider the implications of the proposed amendment and its potential negative impact on the Nigeria Police Force. It is essential to prioritize reforms that enhance efficiency, professionalism, and effectiveness within the force rather than measures that could lead to stagnation and decreased morale.”

In its criticism of the Bill, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission under the Presidency questioned the cost implication of increasing the current service years of existing policing officers, stating that it would have serious consequences for the government concerning the wage bill and corresponding pension deductions and funding of the NPF.

The Commission further noted that the increase in the service years and retirement age will create a situation where the hierarchy of the NPF becomes top-heavy, resulting in stagnation in ranks and frustration of officers within the police system.

The commission in its memorandum submitted to the National Assembly, signed by David Nyikyaa, Secretary to the Commission for Chairman/CEO, advised that “instead of increasing the service years for officers of the NPF from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 years to 65 years (whichever is earlier) through the proposed bill, a system can be created where specific subject matter specialists in the NPF above 60 years and retired can be retained/re-engaged on contractual basis for the training and mentoring of young officers.

“In this way, the NPF will maintain its pool of specialist and experienced officers while giving room for regular recruitment of new entrants, growth and development as well as adequate motivation of officers within the policing system.”

“In acceding to this request to extend years of service/age of serving police personnel, a similar extension will have to be extended to all Paramilitary Agencies, Intelligence Community, Anti-Corruption Agencies and the Military,” it added.

On its part, the PSC stated that the justification for the proposed increase in service year and retirement age is not well articulated by the sponsors of the bill.

According to the PSC, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the present service years of the NPF.

The PSC in its six-page memorandum submitted to the National Assembly recommended that the bill should not be passed by the National Assembly.

It argued, “The bill does not cure any perceived problem associated with the present years of service of police personnel in Nigeria. On the contrary, the increase may compound the challenges associated with the work of policing in the country.

“To ensure that police personnel are able to maximize their years of service in the NPF for the overall benefit of the country, the following are recommended:

“Frequent recruitment of young persons into the NPF, Frequent training and retraining of police personnel. Adequate provisions of healthcare and safety needs of police personnel.

“Diversification of job schedule of police personnel. Increase in command positions in the NPF, and improvement in emoluments and pensions of police personnel.”

“The present recruitment age limit of 18-25 years and retirement age of 35 years of service or 60 years of age are within the universal standard.

“The work of police personnel is too stressful to endure longer years of service than necessary. In the final analysis, it appears that the most assured way to deal with the concerns which motivated the Bill is to recruit fresh young blood into the NPF rather than to increase the service years in the NPF as proposed in the Bill.

“These young persons should be carefully monitored and guided along their career paths so that they can give their best to improve the effectiveness of the NPF. This process would entail frequent training and retraining, adequate healthcare, and improvement in emoluments, among other motivating factors,” the commission added.

The IGP, whom sources described as the prime mover of the tenure extension plot, however, stated that the extension of the service years of the NPF will not only be “a morale booster to police officers but also the nation at large”.

He contended that “experience is the best teacher” as it would allow for the retention of experienced officers benefitting from their seasoned judgement and skills and will help retain institutional memory, ensuring that valuable insights and historical knowledge are not lost.

In addition, the IGP in a memorandum submitted through AIG Zacharatah F. Achinyan, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Department of Research & Planning Force, mentioned that retaining experienced senior police officers will help boost public confidence in the police force as citizens are more likely to trust law enforcement agencies that are led by experienced and competent leaders.

He avowed that introducing the extension would reduce the cost of management of police force.

“It reduces the cost of training and recruiting new officers,” he argued.

In trying to convince members of the House to pass the bill, the IGP stated in his submission that with the massive retirement of police personnel in the last two years and more retirements in both at strategic and tactical levels between now and the next two years -2026/2027, it would require recruiting no fewer than 50,000 policemen on a monthly basis to meet up with the anticipated personnel shortfall if the bill is not passed.

The IGP argued that the extension of service years of police officers is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, citing the United States, Brazil, Australia, and Canada among the countries that have increased the retirement age for police officers.

“The extension of the years of service of Nigeria Police Officers offers a unique perspective on the complexity of modern-day policing. Crime governance in the 21st Century demands strategic Police Crime Management experts and tools.

“The trend requires Police Officers that are seasoned and highly experienced in dealing with the daily Crime that confronts us. This informs the consensus of nearly all serving and retired Police Officers in support of the bill. We therefore call for the speedy passage of the bill,” he argued.

SaharaReporters gathered that the hastily arranged stakeholders’ hearing has raised concerns about a lack of transparency and potential procedural violations.

The hearing failed to meet the required 14-day notice period for public hearings, as stipulated in the House Rules.

Critics suspect that the rushed nature and limited invitations were deliberate attempts to fast-track the passage of an unpopular bill.

The bill, sponsored by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, and co-sponsored by the Chairman of the Committee on Police Affairs, Hon. Abubakar Makke Yalleman, has left many members in the dark.

Several lawmakers who spoke on condition of anonymity, have expressed surprise and lack of knowledge about the bill, questioning why a stakeholder hearing was held during recess, a time when the House is not in session.

This has fuelled concerns about a potential attempt to push through a controversial bill without adequate scrutiny or public input.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi for comments and reaction failed as he did not answer his calls. He also did not reply to a text message sent to him.

 

 

[SaharaReporters ]