…says ‘injustice by FG aggravating insecurity’
Umbrella Igbo socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, on Tuesday, kicked against the appointment of Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, as the acting Inspector-General of Police.
Ohanaeze identified alleged injustice by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration as cause of the growing agitations for secession and insecurity in the South-East.
National Publicity Secretary of the group, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, said this in a swift reaction to Buhari’s appointment of Baba as the acting IGP.
The President had on Tuesday announced Baba, who hails from Geidam, Yobe State, as IGP despite Ohanaez’s entreaties an Igbo officer be considered as the nation’s next police boss.
The acting IGP is taking over from Mohammed Adamu, whose tenure was extended for three months on February 14 by the President.
Baba, who was born in 1963, joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1988.
But Ohanaeze’s spokesman described the latest development in the police as “most unfortunate,” accusing the President of sidelining the Igbo in his appointment of the service chiefs and the IGP.
According to him, “It is unjust and unfair to sideline the South-East in the security architecture of the country. Injustice promotes insecurity; it promotes all forms of crisis and problems. With injustice, there is no peace anywhere.
“What is happening in South-East today in form of agitations is as a result of injustice. So, we the elders are put in a great dilemma because the younger generation is attacking us and we have been telling them to hold on, believing that the President would have a change of mind.
“We thought that the President would be concerned about the level of injustice, agitations and crises we have in the South-East and would try to ameliorate these things but unfortunately, he is not thinking towards that direction. It is most unfortunate and Ohanaeze will come up with a stronger statement.”