Former Inspector-General of Police, Mike Mbama Okiro, has said Nigeria will benefit more from the new act that allowed for a four-year tenure for inspector generals of police.
Naijaonpoint had reported that the Senate amended Section 7(6) of the Police Act 2020 to allow IGPs to have a full four-year tenure irrespective of age retirement requirements
Mike Okiro, speaking on Friday in Abuja, on the amended act said IGPs would have enough time to plan while in office. He added that the amended act would help to ensure stability in the Police and sustain institutional knowledge.
“The four-year tenure will ensure stability within the Nigeria Police. This will help sustain institutional knowledge and prevent disruptions.
“The four-year tenure will also ensure increased productivity and efficiency in carrying out responsibilities.
“It is my strong conviction that this will allow the IGP to focus on his longer-term planning, goal-setting, and successful execution,” Okiro said.
The former IGP noted that as the former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) he had recommended that the IGP should only be removed from office by two-thirds of the senate and not the president.
He argued that subjecting IGPs to the appointment and removal of the presidents affects the effective performance of the IGPs and the Nigeria Police.
“The police and the country are losing in this situation because there is no stability in the system.
“The law has now negated the 60 and 35 years retirement age and years of service respectively in the civil service. With this law now, the IGP can concentrate on the benefit of the police and the country,” Okiro added.