RETENTION OF CP MBU IN RIVERS STATE

In the face of the bad blood between the governor and the police commissioner, a transfer would ease the political chaos

The Inspector General of Police, Mr. M. D. Abubakar last week announced the redeployment of 14 Police Commissioners in line with what was described as his “avowed efforts to reposition the Nigeria Police Force for greater efficiency and better performance in the fight against crime and criminality”. Ordinarily, such exercise should be commended given the goals publicly espoused. However, for most observers, the real story of the exercise was not the senior police officers who had to exchange command postings but rather the one who was conspicuously left out: the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr Joseph Mbu who has been at loggerheads with Governor Rotimi Amaechi for several months.

Against the background that both the Senate and the House of Representatives have passed resolutions seeking the redeployment of Mbu from Rivers State, it is a sign of the dangerous politics playing out that the police commissioner was conspicuously left out of the latest exercise. Indeed, the IG’s insistence that Mbu would remain in Rivers State says a lot about the character of the Nigerian Police because when the governor of a state raises alarm over the role of a man whom he should otherwise hold in confidence during crisis situations, the authorities concerned should ordinarily take the matter rather seriously. Unfortunately, such a lesson is lost on the Police high command.

It should be obvious to the authorities concerned that given the bad blood already generated by recent political events in Port Harcourt there is no doubt that Governor Amaechi and CP Mbu may not be able to work together again as a team. The Governor has even petitioned the Police authorities and the President, seeking the redeployment from the state of the police commissioner. But all this do not seem to matter essentially because of some ill-defined politics that do not in any way advance the cause of peace in the state.

While there have been no love lost between Mbu and Governor Ameachi for quite sometime now, matters were not helped by the role allegedly played by the Police when five of the 32 members recently attempted to impeach the Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker--an action which further precipitated a breakdown of law and order right under Mbu's watch. It is indeed for reasons of his alleged partisanship that we believe Mbu ought to have been recalled from Rivers State in the interest of peace.

It is interesting that the IGP vote of confidence on Mbu came at a time the Police Service Commission (PSC) said it had started a full-scale investigations into his alleged activities as CP for Rivers State. According to Chief Mike Okiro, a former Inspector General, the PSC had received all the petitions forwarded to it by Governor Amaechi on the activities Rivers State's CP. He, however, added  that “the principle of fundamental human rights demand that an accused person should be given a fair hearing. I have directed the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate the matter and once he is found wanting he will be dealt with accordingly.”

Since we do not advocate that each time a Commissioner of Police is accused of misconduct that he should be immediately removed or reassigned, Okiro’s position that a thorough investigation should precede any disciplinary measure against Mbu is understandable. Yet we hasten to add that as an interim measure, Mbu, as most people have advocated, should be moved out of Rivers State in the interest of peace and tranquility. He cannot continue to function properly with all the animosity against him. Moreover, as Amaechi had made it clear that the two of them can no longer work together, it is the CP that has to leave the state, not an elected governor.