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General News of Friday, 13 November 2020

Source: punchng.com

Sack policemen who refuse returning to duty posts

The Executive Director, United Global Resolve for Peace, Mr Olaseni Shalom, has called for the sacking of any police officer who refused to return to his duty post.

He described the refusal of policemen to obey the order of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, as an affront to the police leadership.

The activist also said the action of the men called to question the capacity of the IG to lead the force.

Shalom said, “Police officers are public servants recruited for a specific purpose which is the safeguarding of civilian lives and properties.

“A refusal to carry out their jobs is not just an affront on the Inspector-General of Police but is defiance against constitutional and other statutory laws.

“Their refusal to do their jobs, therefore, calls for severe sanctions with outright dismissal as an option. Resentment of public scrutiny is not a validation for their actions and no excuse at law or any other standard suffices in their favour.”

Also, the Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwanguma, told The PUNCH that the IG should be blamed for the development.

Nwanguwa said it was curious that only the police had refused to return to their duty posts among all the other security agencies.

The RULAAC executive director explained that such an act of indiscipline could never happen in the military where it would have been deemed mutiny.

He added that any policeman that refused to return to the streets as directed ought not to be paid salary.

Nwanguma said, “The IG is encouraging what they are doing. The policemen have no right to leave their post and expect to be paid a salary. They are acting with vengeance. They are not back to their posts but still harassing people in some places.

“I also think it shows the irresponsibility of the political leadership. If the IG will tolerate this kind of thing, then it shows how irresponsible he is and if the President is not doing anything, then it shows the quality of his leadership.

“If it happens in the military, it would amount to mutiny. I think the President should give the IG an ultimatum.”

When asked if the refusal of policemen to return to the streets was due to the attack on the stations and personnel during the #EndSARS protests, Nwanguma said the government should take responsibility for the violence.

He added, “Nobody will support the attack on policemen and stations. We need to draw a line between #EndSARS and those hired by the government to disrupt the protests.

“The government was using hoodlums to attack the protesters. That was why they did what they did at the Lekki tollgate which triggered the violence.

“If blame should go anywhere, it should go to the government. The hoodlums are part of bad governance and #EndSARS was also a call to end bad governance.”