Ohanaeze: Only One of 37 Commissioners of Police Is Igbo

Ohanaeze: Only One of 37 Commissioners of Police Is Igbo

• Alleges Igbos are, unfairly treated
• Laments South-east is constantly under siege

Tobi Soniyi

Only one out of 37 commissioners of police recently appointed is Igbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has revealed.

This revelation is contained in a statement released by Chief Emeka Attamah, the Special Adviser on media to the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo said that while marginalisation against Ndigbo had been an enduring feature from past administrations, it accused the Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration of taking it to an unimaginable level.

Nwodo therefore called for a review of the promotions in the spirit of fair play, equity and justice.

He also regretted that all police commissioners serving in the region come from the North while noting that only one out of 37 commissioners of police is Igbo.

The group said: “A look at the list shows that the Northwest zone has 12 new Commissioners of Police, Northeast, 8; Southwest, 7; South-south, 5; North-central, 4, while predictably South-sast brought up the rear with just 1 new commissioner.”

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo observes that the already existing imbalance in the force exemplified in the fact that all police commissioners in the Southeast come from the North; and that not many Igbo officers are in the high echelon of the force should have made it imperative that more slots be given to the South-east.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo is irked that the already depleted South-east population in the force deserved only one slot, and unequivocally condemns and rejects this provocative act of marginalization.

“Ohanaeze frowns at this propensity of ensuring that Igbo land is constantly under siege by having security heads from zones other than the Southeast in charge of security in the zone.

“It also rejects the unending and unnerving tendency of making the Southeast the whipping-boy of the country in all matters of recruitments and appointments at the federal level.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo notes that while this habit of exclusion and denial has been the stock in trade of successive governments over the years, the preponderance of the marginalization in the present dispensation is unimaginable.

“What is more worrisome is the gross impunity with which these despicable acts are being perpetrated towards a people that are the mainstay of Nigeria’s unity and development.”

Last Friday, Matthew Kukah, bishop of Sokoto Catholic diocese accused President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism.

In his Christmas message, the bishop said there could have been a coup if a non-northern Muslim president does a fraction of what Buhari did.

He accused the president of institutionalising northern hegemony by “reducing others in public life to second-class status”.

“This government owes the nation an explanation as to where it is headed as we seem to journey into darkness,” he said

“The spilling of this blood must be related to a more sinister plot that is beyond our comprehension. Are we going to remain hogtied by these evil men or are they gradually becoming part of a larger plot to seal the fate of our country?

“President Buhari deliberately sacrificed the dreams of those who voted for him to what seemed like a programme to stratify and institutionalise northern hegemony. He has pursued this self-defeating and alienating policy at the expense of greater national cohesion.

“Every honest Nigerian knows that there is no way any non-Northern Muslim President could have done a fraction of what President Buhari has done by his nepotism and gotten away with it.

“There would have been a military coup a long time ago or we would have been at war. The President may have concluded that Christians will do nothing and will live with these actions.

“He may be right and we Christians cannot feel sorry that we have no pool of violence to draw from or threaten our country. However, God does not sleep. We can see from the inexplicable dilemma of his North.”

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