By Adewole Kehinde
“Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable”. – Coco Chanel
I have been following IGP Egbetokun’s outstanding track record and transformative leadership qualities since he was appointed as the Acting Inspector-General of Police on June 19th, 2023, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and I must confess, he is the true example of a round peg in a round hole.
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, in Kano on Friday made another remarkable statement while addressing officers and men of the command. The IGP said, “Henceforth, promotions in the police will be merit-based. There will be no special promotions, and if you want a special promotion, you must merit it. For now, dishing out promotions anyhow has been stopped.”
He said that henceforth only officers who inspire public confidence in the force will be promoted.
One of the most sensitive departments of the Nigeria Police is the Central Investigation Department (CID).
The Central Investigation Department (CID) collects and provides criminal intelligence and undertakes investigations on serious crimes, including homicide, narcotics crimes, human trafficking, money laundering, etc.
I was impressed when the IGP disclosed that he would be reshuffling the Central Investigation Department (CID), stressing that only competent officers will function in the force’s CID.
In his words, “The force CID is going to be reorganized such that only qualified and competent officers will function in the force CID. This will be replicated in the state commands.
Henceforth, only officers who can inspire public confidence will be given sensitive duty posts, such as Commissioners of Police, Area commanders, and DPOs. If you cannot inspire public confidence, you will not merit such positions.
“We want competence, we want honesty, and we want integrity. That is the only way we can inspire public confidence. We want the support of members of the public.
“We cannot ask for help while also failing to demonstrate transparency, competence, and capability.” It is when we are able to do all these things that we will mobilize public support.
“Modern policing is community-based, it is intelligence-led, and it is technology-driven. We must show commitment. We must show capacity.
“We must show integrity. We must show the members of the public that we can be trusted. We are the lead agency for internal security. We have to demonstrate this.”
I am sure most people don’t know that IGP Kayode Egbetokun is a Ph.D. holder. No wonder he doesn’t joke with professionalism.
During his address to the officers and men of the Kano Police Command, the IGP said: “We must show commitment to professionalism. We must improve our relationship with members of the public. We must stop corruption and extortion in our system. It doesn’t pay us.”
Recall that the highlights of the IGP’s policing vision include: upholding the sanctity of the legal framework of the Nigeria Police Force; tackling the menace of crimes and criminality with the establishment of a specialized quick intervention squad comprising combat-ready police mobile force personnel with effective and enhanced training in crisis de-escalation and violent crime reduction strategies; leveraging cutting-edge tools, data analytics, and intelligence networks for a robust and effective human and technical intelligence gathering process to enhance police capacity; and strengthening inter-agency collaboration.
Similarly, the new policing vision of IGP Egbetokun focuses on enhancing the police training curriculum with a special focus on attitudinal and behavioural changes; improving welfare, and resuscitating the Police Officer Support Unit of the Police Medical Services to serve as a confidential support and counseling facility for all police officers; implementing a new recognition and reward system to better motivate and encourage our dedicated personnel; and community policing through a more vibrant engagement of the Police Community Relations Committee and the establishment of a citizens engagement focus group.
I will continue to call on all relevant stakeholders and the citizens to collaborate with the police to shape a future where justice triumphs, the vulnerable find solace, citizens go about their lawful businesses without fear of insecurity or molestation, and every citizen can truly believe in the power of law enforcement.
There is no doubt that the Nigeria Police Force under IGP Kayode Egbetokun will symbolize excellence, integrity, and compassion.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters and can be reached at 08166240846, kennyadewole@gmail.com
