In Nigeria it is quite easy for anyone to label accusations against anybody. Such things always happen in an unrestrained manner, coming almost from unexpected quarters. It is not unusual to hear a subordinate laying preposterous charge against his superior, or a student picking quarrel with his teacher in a desperate effort to decry any form of injustice or barefaced wrong doings. It may even not be out of place for a husband to publicly accuse his wife of infidelity, or a father criticizing his child over trivial matter but which has gone counter to the established norms of conventional behavior.
However, an accusation that took everyone by surprise recently was the one labeled by the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris against his immediate boss, and predecessor in office, Solomon Arase whom he said had taken away twenty-four vehicles belonging to the police after his retirement. He did not stop at that, he equally accused the seven deputy inspector-generals of police that retired with Arase of bolting away with seven cars each.
Mr. Idris deposed that when he took over there was no vehicle for his official use, having discovered that his predecessor did not leave any behind.
The behavior of the Acting Inspector-General though precipitate, and said to have been done rather rashly and without enough thought, could not altogether be condemned; especially coming from an officer in an institution that attaches so much importance on hierarchical structure and discipline. His behavior and actions must be in conformity with the spirit of the moment, totally in tandem with the most important feature of the war against corruption and sleaze in whatever form and wherever they may manifest.
As a fine officer who was singled out for appointment into that exalted position among many officers ahead of him, who were consequently retired, Ibrahim Idris cannot afford to cover any wrong doing he had discovered in the police force or which he had suspected his predecessors had committed. He certainly couldn’t afford to be in support of appropriating public property since those vehicles said to be commandeered by his bosses would help in easing the great tasks that lay ahead for the police officers if they had not been taken over by selfish individual officers.
Although Idris had officially written to Arase and his cohorts to return the cars forthwith, and followed that action by public declaration of their unavailability at the places where they ought to belong, former IG, Arase was quick in retorting sharply and angrily to what he called his successor’s unkindest denunciation, and accused him of engaging in media propaganda, wondering why that was so, because according to him every information needed by Mr. Idris had been provided in his hand-over notes. He also denied receiving any letter in respect of the ‘missing’ vehicles.
Mr. Arase sarcastically asked what he was going to do with twenty-four vehicles, unless it he was to open a car shop. Accordingly, he dismissed the allegations against him as malicious, insisting that there were many ways of verifying issues rather than engaging in media propaganda. But Mr. Arase should not take any offence over his successor’s suspicion and distrust which is the hallmark of his training as a police officer. His action is in harmony or total agreement with the thinking and attitude of the government that brought him on board: that of zero tolerance against corruption. Mr. Idris is anxious of discharging the onerous responsibility of his great office on a clean slate and that explains he is sending signals to all and sundry, that charity really begins from home.
The Acting Inspector-General of Police has actually demonstrated the fact that he will never be soft or sentimental, and could not easily be affected acutely by emotional matters to the point of being compromised. Mr. Idris had categorically pointed out that he had not been handed any information about the vehicles and it is now up to Mr. Arase to positively identify where he had prescribed the locations of the disputed twenty-four vehicles in his handing over notes and specify the conditions he had left them. Similarly his deputies, accused along with him, should also come out and plainly explain the whereabouts of the vehicles said to have been in their care and which they did not leave behind.
In Nigeria it is simple for public officers and political office holders to commandeer vehicles and other equipment attached to their offices when they are relinquishing their positions while nothing is done thereafter to either recover or get back their equivalent. It is important to remember that public assets are not community chests from where sundry items could be impounded with impunity. The Acting Inspector-General must be supported to discharge his duties creditably, without fear and favor, and it is appropriate to note that he is on a right course by querying his predecessors about the vehicles entrusted in their case, and which they had not returned. He should, therefore, not hesitate to arrest any of them who failed to satisfactorily account for the whereabouts of the vehicles procured at public expense.
