SOCIAL crusader and public
affairs analyst, Carl Umegboro has berated the Senate’s newest action over the
failure of the Inspector General of Police; Ibrahim Idris to appear before it
in person which he said is all over again reducing the red chamber to disdain. The
senate declared the IGP as enemy of democracy over failure to respond to her
summons in person for the third time.
Umegboro, who made the
remarks to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja said that uncontrolled and
reckless invocation of legislative tools may weaken the nation’s democracy
adding that legislative chambers must be cautious in making any resolutions
especially when there is no cause for alarm.
He said, “In the first place,
senate’s summons to the head of a security agency for arresting and prosecuting
a suspect it believed to have committed crimes is tantamount to undue influence.
It is out of order for the Senate to interfere with operations and investigations
of the Police for whatever reasons”.
“As long as the arrest is
followed by arraignment in the court of law, the Police have no case to answer.
It is important to equivocally state that oversight functions of the Senate do
not transcend to interferences with criminal investigations. Police do not
convict suspects but merely investigate, arrest and arraign before the court of
law for trial”.
“Again, it is absurd that the senate made the
Police Act and Regulation that empowers the IGP to be represented by a DIG in
any functions, yet rejected a DIG assigned to duty at its chamber in line with
the Police Act and Regulation. The act itself is disrespect to the institution
and Nigerian constitution”.
“Without a doubt, Section 88(1) and 89(c) of
the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria as amended gives the Senate powers to summon any public
officeholders. However, Section 312(1) of Police Act and Regulation specifically
provides that ‘all the functions, duties and responsibilities of the IGP as
listed in Section 215 of the Constitution can be carried out by a senior
officer of the Force of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) and
Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) who, if permitted by the Inspector
General of Police to act on his behalf or represent him in official capacity at
any function, event or programme within and outside Nigeria, can do so in
consonant with the provisions of the Police Act and Regulation’. Hence, Police
Act endorsed DIG to represent IGP at any functions including at the Senate”.
“In
other words, the Senate turned a blind eye to the provisions of the Police Act
and Regulation it enacted which guides Police personnel in their duties”.
“To sum, senate should not heat up
the polity over frivolities. The Police are under no obligations to give
reasons to anyone for carrying out its statutory duties. If the Senate requires
official information on the Police, certainly, any senior officers assigned in
line with the Police Act and Regulation can fittingly represent the Force.
However, if the Senate is uncomfortable with the provisions of the Act, the
appropriate thing is to amend the Police Act. Incidentally, the nation has
numerous challenges that require urgent attentions rather than allocating such
times and energy on mere politics”, Umegboro said.
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