IGP ONOVO, JONATHAN MUST NOT STRENGTHEN THE OPPOSITION!

Icheoku is keenly following the political shenanigans in Nigeria with respect to the effort to shove the Inspector General of Police Ogbonna Onovo out of office? This satanic move is unacceptable to the Igbos, every decent people of Nigeria and the country Nigeria itself; which has been yearning for a 'king who does not know Joseph to ascend the throne and call for the rendering of account! Icheoku states that IGP Onovo is that king and the election riggers of Anambra State attested that much when they were stopped cold by the IGP's men from rigging the last governorship election.

IGP Ogbonna Onovo has only been in office for about eight months now; and since then crimes of armed robbery and kidnapping have somewhat abated due to his effort at a more effective policing, using an entirely new approach of deploying much needed but hitherto lacking intelligence gathering for a real time use? He will need additional time to complete needed reforms to better position the police to do their job. It took a very long time to decimate the Nigerian police and its crime fighting capabilities, a situation made worse by incessant military interventionists who see the police as their arch-rival that must be contained through deprivation of much needed equipment, manpower and training; so it will require some time of concerted effort to fix that which was broken. The fix-it effort is a continuum and much effort will be needed to cut crimes in Nigeria down to a manageable size, which the society can live with. It is a generally acknowledged position that no society is infallible or free of crime; all that the law enforcement tries to do is to contain and curtail it.

Barely two weeks into IGP Onovo's administration, the Boko Harem Islamic madmen struck and unleashed their mayhem in Maiduguri and its surroundings; and as a testament to the present IGP's no nonsense policing, the cult was dealt a mortal blow; - completely wiped out or decimated before they could spread like the Swine Flu virus? Their leader's lifeless body was strategically displayed for all his surviving followers to see what fate awaits every criminal master-mind in Nigeria under the present IGP Onovo? That kidnapping and armed robbery have also reduced, under the present IGP, particularly in the South East Nigeria of Enugu, Aba, Anambra, Rivers, Imo and Ebonyi also proves the IGP is focused on bringing the crime rate in Nigeria down to an acceptable minimal. There was also the first Jos riots of January 2010, which the IGP's forces in conjunction with the army completely quelled? The last elections in Ekiti, Edo and Anambra States also proved that this IGP is different; not only did he turn down so many offers of inducements but he saturated the three states with policemen and women from different formations who were not known to the local political operatives and hence could not be compromised with bribery. The results of the elections showed that if INEC is allowed a free-hand, that there is truly hope for Nigeria in despair; and that elections can be free and fair if the politicians will only say 'Yes!'

Regrettably, it is the same band of thieves (politicians) who are now crying wolf with the IGP's continued stay in office that tried and will always try to prevent the police from doing their job? They unduly influence the police by bribery, threats and intimidation; and when the police bites their bait and looks the other way, crime festers and then the same 'politicians' will turn around to blame the police for non performance. By the same token, when a resolute police refuses to kow-tow their dictates, or yield to their nefarious intentions, they then set out to do the hatchet-job against such defiant officer or in this case the IGP himself? The same principle of hamstringing the police used by politicians was also applied to the INEC chairman, Maurice Iwu, whom Obasanjo put in a straight-jacket and tele-guided his conduct of the last election? Now some section of the polity are also calling for INEC's chairman Maurice Iwu's removal but failed or refused to protest their kinsman, Olusegun Obasanjo, when he marred the last 2007 elections? He not only truncated democracy but imposed all his (s)elected officials including President Yar'Adua-Jonathan on the people of Nigeria with reckless abandon. The same cross-section of the populace did not protest their kinsman's murderous eight years in office but are now more sanctimonious with incessant ritualistic protest-marches to Aso Rock?

The evil forces of Nigeria and some vociferous anti-Igbo elements amongst them, a people who have held Nigeria hostage for too long, have refused to acknowledge that this IGP is different from the pack Nigerians have ever seen since the days of Obasanjo in Aso Rock. They seem to be on the move again to have 'the man on a mission IGP' fired; and not allow him a breathing space to complete the ardous reform currently going on in the police force under his instigation an dsupervision?

Former Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Yakubu Lame, (what a name?) penultimate his sack just discovered or suddenly woke up to the facts on the ground regarding insecurity in Nigeria? May be this lame man was on vacation to planet Mars all these past years, especially the last ten, when security situation in Nigeria plummeted to a near total anarchy with police officers including DPOs being mowed down by armed robbers in broad daylights in Edo/Delta States; and convoys of governors being waylaid on their way to a sports event in Warri? With his lame mouth, Mr. Lame made lame statements concerning and about the person of IGP Onovo and his police force; wherein he said, "the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) under IGP Ogbonna Onovo's leadership had failed Nigeria and that the Federal Government was disappointed with them for failing to reciprocate the kind gestures of the government aimed at making the police more efficient"? The lame man also lamented "the poor performance of the police in the fight against crime and extra-judicial killings;" and gave Onovo and his men two weeks ultimatum to effect the required reform in the force or be ready for the big stick? The lame minister, also beat his chest that the $200 per month salary now being paid to police constables is more than enough for them to lay down their lives while confronting well armed robbers with their bare-hands? Mr. Lame accusatorily blamed the police for all manner of crimes in Nigeria and in his own very words, heaped responsibility on the police for the "increase in current rate of crime across the nation, extra-judicial killing, human rights violations, robberies, high profile assassinations and deliberate failure to comply with government directives."

Icheoku says, from the two weeks ultimatum Mr. Lame gave the police to turn around an endemically screwed-up system, shows the kind of empty-head quota-characterized piece of humanity who hitherto oversaw the police ministry? You ask yourself, what reforms or implementation thereof could productively be effected within just two weeks, in a centralised Nigerian police force with over 600,000 men and women? What discipline of study this Mr.Lame obtained his PhD or the institution that awarded him that comes under heavy scrutiny, since he cannot easily appreciate the magnitude of the work required to turn an ocean-liner around; before issuing his ultimatum. This Lame man does not deserve and never merited his erstwhile position, otherwise he would have known that the police force failed Nigerians so many long years ago and ever before the current IGP Onovo got to that office? Dele Giwa was murdered with a parcel bomb and there was a sitting IGP then whose last name was not Onovo; yet no conclusive investigation? Kudirat Abiola and Pa Rewane were murdered, yet the IGP in office then was 'not questioned or threatened' for the police not doing their job, and our investigations reveals that his last name was not Onovo? MKO Abiola died in a mysterious "poisoned-tea" circumstances and there was a sitting IGP then whose name was not also Onovo? Chief Bola Ige, the Cicero of Oke-Onaa and an Uncle to many was also brutally murdered, hacked to death, yet an IGP was in office and his name was not Onovo? Dikkibo and Harry Marshall met the same fate under a different IGP, yet no one observed that the Nigerian police has failed Nigeria or that too many killings or that of prominent men is taking place? We are talking of high profile crimes and extra-judicial murders here, for crying out loud, Dr. Lame man? Please Lame-man would you be decent enough to tell Nigerians if it is this IGP that was in charge when Odi Bayelsa State and Zaki Ibiam Benue State were 'extra-judiciary' completely decimated? Was it an IGP named Onovo? And the list goes on ad infinitum.

Icheoku says to Dr. Lame, if you must be disappointed on anything, it must be for your sorry self, since you cannot get over the fact that an Igbo man has finally struggled through the ranks to head a Nigerian police force after 96 years of amalgamated Nigeria? Things change and things have changed; this is a fact all these mallams desert-dwellers of Islamic Northern Nigeria must realise, including this Doctor Lame-man! A police force suffering the general decay that the rest of Nigeria society is burdened with, ill-motivated by thieving politicians and retired army generals oil bunkerers, and who are still doing their best under the circumstances should not be scape-goated by anyone including this mallam Lame-man? In more civilized and decent societies, policemen and women are better equipped, better remunerated and given the reason to die for their country and/or constituencies; but not in Nigeria where the former Police Equipment (procurement) Foundation chairman, Kenny Martins is still facing prosecution for embezzling funds meant for equipment procurement for the police? Where are their guns and ammunition, helicopters, boats, cameras, life-insurances, communications gadgetry, forensic laboratories, logistics, vehicles and fast cars, computers and information technologies for modern day crime fighting and policing? Politicians will always be politicians - sleazy! Icheoku remembers that when this IGP assumed office the first thing he did was to inform Nigerians that about 300, 000 of the police force are deployed in the services of Nigerian ruling elites, with some of them converted to mere houseboys, gardeners, domestic servants and all sorts of sundry servitude. He wanted to end this practice but the powers that be stopped him and look who is now calling the police out, alleging disappointment?

Quoting one commentator, "the national disgrace that is the Nigeria police and its ugly degeneration did not start with Onovo, so we feel it would have been fair to accept the IGP's plea for time, taking cognizance of the fact that his administration is only seven months old!" Icheoku says, what a salute to courage that some people in Nigeria still speak the truth and let the truth be told to this Dr Lame that he should be ashamed of his turning the facts upside down on its head? Guessing from his name, this Dr. Lame is probably from that section of the Middle Belt, the fake northerners, that also produced the genocidal Yakubu Gowon who nearly cleansed Nigeria of the Igbo man? The same geography produced Theophilus Danjuma who killed Igbo's Aguiyi Ironsi and he is the current chairman of the presidential advisory committee? The same region produced the dismissed former attorney general Mike Aondonkaa who questioned Professor Dora Akunyili's audacity to call for President Yar'Adua to yield his office on ground of indisposition? So will the real Igbo haters in Nigeria please stand up?

But the same forces that be, will not do anything tangible to effectively fix the ills militating against effective policing/crime fighting in Nigeria as pointed out by the IGP including addressing the issues of "economic, social, religious factors, increased youth unemployment, corruption, unguarded display of wealth, etc; some of the issues that promote crimes. As well as poor funding, outdated equipment, and low motivation of the force which is deterrents to its effectiveness? In the IGP's words, "There is no country that is crime free in the world but we are operating under unbearable conditions. We saw the kinds of arms and ammunition that came out of the Niger Delta. We want to be properly armed and kitted but the equipment is not there. The Nigeria Police is trying its best given the limited resources at our disposal!" Icheoku agrees and attests to that fact that Nigerian police still still uses antiquated, museum-quality Mark IV rifles, that fires one cartridge one at a time; and which requires manual re-loading; and that Niger Delta militants have some big guns that shoots about 1000 rounds per minute?

The solution is otherwise simple, just give the IGP time and work with the IGP to solve the problem of insecurity in Nigeria; also a select-team should visit some functioning countries of the world to see how well the police are run? But in Nigeria since the top-shots can buy their own security, they could care less whether or not the police of the common man are best equipped and suited to do their job. The Acting President Jonathan Goodluck must therefore understand that like President Barack Obama of the United States is doing after GW wrecked everything, that IGP Ogbonna Onovo just arrived to the scene of a Nigerian police in comatose; with a bludgeoned crime-rate to contend with and under the inclement conditions wherein they operate, both in equipment level, training and remuneration and will require time to do the job? Acting President Jonathan must not heed the myopic and baseless advise to fire IGP Onovo since that will only shrink the base of his support further; such irrational firing shall be interpreted by the Igbo solely as the taking away of what the Hausa-Fulani Yar'Adua otherwise gave to the Igbos? Acting President Jonathan Goodluck must not scuttle this baby's first step of the Igbos to fully come back to the Nigeria fold, by sacking their only tribesman in Nigeria's security formation?

Under no circumstances or subterfuge whatsoever would the Igbos of Nigeria accept the sacking of Inspector General Ogbonna Onovo, barely seven months into his appointment for matters which he did not bring about or put in place and which have persisted in Nigeria long before the Hausa-Fulani cabals of Nigeria relented on his long overdue appointment as the IGP. Any such move will backfire and will only affirm to the Igbo that they have better friend in the Hausa-Fulani north than the Niger Delta South-south; and that what Ken Saro-Wiwa did with the issue of abandoned property is a widely shared idea and approvingly sanctioned by the people of the South-South, including now Jonathan? This will also continue to fester the age-long outcry of the Igbo that Igbo people are not accepted in Nigeria and deserve not to be part thereof; otherwise how can a people be deemed to have abandoned their property in their own country. Which antagonism continues till today with the lack of any meaningful development, appointments and other federal presence within the South East of Nigeria? Hopefully, Acting President Jonathan Goodluck holds a Ph.D and therefore presumed wise; and as a good commander-in-chief will not unwisely strengthen the hand of his opposition by augmenting their numbers multi-fold? Icheoku strongly believes that the northern Hausa-Fulani, whose President Yar'Adua he supplanted, is already a plateful and adding another group of Nigerians to those looking at him with disdain, will be a costly political mistake which he must therefore avoid like a plague. Please Jonathan, whatever you do, please do not alienate the Igbos by sacking their first shot at the highest echelon of the police force, Inspector General of Police Ogbonna Onovo. Therefore, Jonathan be wise, let IGP Ogbonna Onovo do his time, complete same, albeit on the IGP's chair!