Ohanaeze Accuses Police Service Commission Of Marginalisation In Promotions

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has blasted the Police Service Commission over the recent promotions in the Nigeria Police, describing it as the highest form of provocation and marginalisation against the South East.

 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo stated its position in a statement by Chief Emeka Attamah, the Special Adviser to its President General, Chief John Nnia Nwodo.

 

It said the promotions showed the disdain of the PSC for the South East.

 

Out of the 37 promotions, the North West had 12; North East, eight; South West, seven; South South, five; North Central, four; and South East, one.

 

The statement said: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo frowns at this propensity of ensuring that the Igbo land is constantly under siege by having security heads from zones other than the South East in charge of security in the zone.

 

“In the recent promotion exercise carried out by the Nigeria Police Force, 37 officers were promoted to the rank of Commissioner of Police.

 

“A cursory look at the list shows that the North West zone has 12 new Commissioners of Police, North East eight, South West seven, South South five, North Central four, while predictably, South East brought up the rear with just one new commissioner.

 

 

 

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo observes that the already existing imbalance in the force exemplified in the fact that all Police Commissioners in the South East come from the North and not many Igbo officers are in the high echelon of the force should have made it imperative that more slots be given to the South East.

 

“It also rejects the unending and unnerving tendency of making the South East the whipping boy of the country in all matters of recruitments and appointments at the federal level.

 

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo notes that while this habit of exclusion and denial has been the stock in trade of successive governments over the years, the preponderance of the marginalization in the present dispensation is unimaginable.

 

“What is more worrisome is the gross impunity with which these despicable acts are being perpetrated towards a people that are the mainstay of Nigeria’s unity and development.”

 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo then demanded for equity.

 

It said: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo, therefore, in the spirit of fair play, equity and justice, calls for the recent police promotion exercise to be revisited and reviewed.”