A human rights activist and author, Comrade Paul Ikechukwu Njoku, has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari constitutionally goofed on the extant laws of the 2020 Police Act which was signed into law by him in 2020.
Mr. Njoku, was reacting to the announcement of the tenure extension of the retired Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Ademu.
Recall that the Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed the news on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Vila, Abuja, where he noted that the decision to extend the IGP’s tenure for another three months was taken by President Buhari.
According to him, this will give enough time for prosper selection of the new Police helmsman.
Reacting further, the rights activist, stated that Mr. President posseses no such powers to extend the tenure of a supposed retired Inspector-General of Police. He decried that both the Public Service Rule and the 2020 Police Act emphasize that Mr. Adamu must go.
He said: “This is unconstitutional, reckless, illegal and unacceptable. President Buhari goofed by violating section 18 of the 2020 Police Act which he signed into law in 2020.
“Obviously, an Act of the National Assembly has been utterly denigrated and violated by this singular reckless impunity of Mr. President.
“In this case, Nigerians presently have an imposed retired Police Officer serving as an IGP which is illegal and unconditional.
“IGP Adamu attained 35 years in Service on February 1, 2021 and was supposed to leave the Police Service same day according to section 18 of the 2020 Police Act without deliberation, nepotism and defense mechanism of any unconstitutional technicality”.