By KINGSLEY OMONOBI & BEN AGANDE
ABUJA— The Minister in-charge of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), yesterday accused the Presidential Committee on the reform of the Nigeria Police Force of going beyond its brief by recommending the scrapping of the ministry.

His accusation came as President Goodluck Jonathan set up a committee chaired by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, to work on the report and produce a white paper.

It will be recalled that the former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Parry Osayande, who chaired the committee had said apart from the illegality of the Ministry of Police Affairs it was also irrelevant and a drain-pipe to funds of the Nigerian Police.

But speaking with newsmen, yesterday, Captain Olubolade denied the allegations, saying that the police are solely responsible for award of contracts while the ministry approved payment.

“One of the critical issues in our country today is about the insecurity in the land and you know Mr. President is very passionate about how we can quickly address this so that the police will be able to police Nigeria effectively and protect lives and property.

“As a result of that, Mr. President set up a committee led by Parry Osayande to reorganise the police. That committee should not be misconstrued or should not be confused with the earlier committee set up by the President to reorganise the ministries and restructure ministries and parastatals.

“What happened yesterday was that this committee headed by Parry Osayande submitted its report to the President. Incidentally, in the same vein, the retired Inspectors-General of Police paid a visit to the President.

“The assignment given is to look at how the police can be reorganised, the aspect of finance can come in any other form but the assignment is to look at how the police can become more professional.

Meanwhile, following the recent promotion and decoration of one Deputy Inspector General of Police and nine Assistant Inspectors General of Police by the Police High Command, Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar has effected a shake up in the police hierarchy.

Consequently, Mr. Philemon Leha, the former AIG Zone 1, Kano is now the Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of ‘Operations’ at Force HQ, AIG. Christopher Dega is now Commandant, Police Academy, Kano, AIG Muktari Ibrahim is AIG in-charge Zone 6, Calabar, AIG Aliyu Musa is now AIG in-charge Border Patrol, AIG Bala Hassan is the Commandant, Police Staff College, Jos.

Also, the Police Service Commission yesterday approved the promotion of Mr. Johnson Ayotunde Ogunsakin as a substantive Commissioner of Police. The senior officer, who is the CP in-charge of Special Fraud Unit, had been on acting capacity until yesterday’s confirmation which takes effect from August 1, 2012.

Other AIG’s affected in the redeployment are AIG Mohammed J. Abubakar formerly CP Kaduna Command, now AIG Zone 10, Sokoto,

AIG, Tambari Y. Muhammmed, formerly the CP Oyo State Command, now AIG in charge Zone 3, Yola, and AIG Ibrahim Abdu, formerly CP Gombe State Command, now AIG in charge Zone,  12 Bauchi with responsibility for Borno, Yobe and Bauchi states.

According to a statement signed by Deputy Force Public Relations officer, CSP Frank Mba, the redeployments are in continuation of the present Police Management Team efforts aimed at restructuring and repositioning the Nigeria Police Force for greater efficiency and effective service delivery.

Mba said that by virtue of his current rank and posting, DIG Philemon Leha automatically becomes a member of the Police Management Team (PMT) – which serves as a mini “Police Governing Council”.

The IGP, in his good will message to the officers, reminded them of their huge and strategic responsibilities as Police commanders in their respective Departments and Commands which among other things include; the supervision of all Police administrative and operational matters within their areas of jurisdiction.

He therefore, urged them to bring their professionalism, skills and experiences to bear in discharging their statutory duties of maintaining law and order.

On his part, Chairman of Police Service Commission, DIG Parry Osayande while congratulating CP Ogunsakin, noted that the PSC would always reward hard work and diligence with elevation to the next rank while all acts against Police conduct and Regulations would not go unpunished by the Commission.

He therefore, enjoined all serving officers to stick to the tenets of the Police Acts and Regulations as their beacon of service.