Ethnicity Of Who Buhari Picks As New IGP Does Not Matter – Presidency

The Presidency said on Monday that the appointment of the next Inspector-General of Police will not be based on “ethnicity or region”.

Current IGP Mohammed Adamu is expected to leave office today, Monday, after clocking the number of years of service. There are conflicting reports on Adamu’s likely successor, with different quarters urging the presidency against appointing a candidate from the North.

The IGP’s retirement is coming on the heels of the appointment of new service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari last week.

However, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Presidency spokesman, Garba Shehu said the appointment of the new IGP will be based on who can best help to protect lives and properties across the country.

“If you are going to appoint the service chiefs from every ethnic group in this country, you are going to have more than 250 Inspector-General of Police, 250 Chief of Army Staff, 250 Chief of Naval Staff,” Shehu said.

“It’s not going to work like that. And they have their own systems of producing leadership.

“If we say we are going to use ethnicity or region as the basis, then we have lost it. This is about law and order, it is not about ethnic identity. This country finished with tribalism in the 1960s, why are we back to it now?

“But if you have two, three positions – look at what happened with the service chiefs just appointed: two from the South, two from the North. If you are talking about religion, two Muslims, two Christians. So what do you want again?

“The President will rather have an Inspector-General of Police who will make you and I safer, protect life and property than one who is more pronounced by his tribal marks,” he added.