NEW IGP: PRESIDENT BUHARI TOLD TO CHOOSE INTELLECTUAL STRENGTH, COMPETENCE AND PEDIGREE
An ambitious dream of the Nigeria Police is to emerge the world’s best police institution. A compelling ambition by all means, but years of debauched Police leadership in Nigeria have lessened the prospects of actualising the vision, making any patriotic anticipation for a reformed, progressive, goal driven, well motivated and adequately equipped Nigeria police an invitation to Mr. Godot. While the Nigeria Police under Mr Arase and Mr Adamu retooled gears of restructuring for the police, the malicious leadership of Mr Idris Kpotum presented the severe contemporary problems with the Nigeria police, and a rigorous vociferation against overemphasising ethnic, religious, or even political considerations in electing the leadership of the Nigeria Police. With growing distrust of Nigeria police by Nigerians, there has never been a time in need of an exceptional police leadership.
I have, over the years as a journalist and an academic, had the privilege to cover the activities of AIG Moses Jitoboh, an outstanding Nigerian police bred finessed by excellent professional, moral, and academic exposure, training and experience. Trained and fortified for Nigeria by the Harvard Law School with a Certificate in Negotiation and Leadership; Harvard Kennedy School for Governance with a Certificate in National and International Security Policy; the University of Leicester, UK, with a Master’s Degree in Security and Risk Management, and an ongoing Doctoral studies in Geographical Information System at Abia State University, Mr Jitoboh, a fellow of the Association of Professional Negotiators and Mediators, offers an exciting refreshment to the Nigeria Police with a very competitive academic history.
There is no basis for any rigorous philosophical exercises to accept AIG Jibotoh, an alumnus of the prestigious National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos, excellent mental ability and intellectual exposure when you consider that he has also received training from Foreign institutions on courses such as Lawful Interception, Criminal investigation and Tele-Strategies, ISS, Dubai UAE; Intelligence Gathering, Analysis Course and Tele Strategies, ISS, Dubai UAE; Mobile Location, Surveillance and Intercept, Telestrategies, ISS, Dubai, UAE; Israeli Security Concept Training for Security Officers and Team Leaders and VIP Protection, Four Troop, Tel Aviv, Israel; Mediation and ADR Trainings, Pulse Institute Africa, Team, Ghana and VIP Protection/Team Leadership Course, London, UK.
It is not just the intellectual and academic profile that makes AIG Jitoboh thoroughly outstanding. He has prolific expertise strengthened by years of relevant experience as an officer of the Nigeria police. He was the Commissioner of Police in charge of Adamawa State, CP General Investigations at the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department, and the Commissioner of Police in charge of Admin, Department of Research and Planning, Force headquarters, Abuja. He has also served as the AIG Zone 8 Headquarters, Lokoja. He currently oversees Border Patrol.
AIG Jibotoh’s robust professionalism drew him closer to the corridors of power, and exposed him, first hand, to the pragmatics and politics of leadership in our country. This exposure was from his time as the Aide De Camp to the President, C-in-C, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Personal Security Officer to the President, (CPSO), C-in-C, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, having also served as the Principal Security Officer (PSO) to the Executive Governor, Bayelsa State. This strand of Mr Jibotoh’s experience authorises his potential to work with key policymakers and power brokers in government to configure the Nigeria police into a world leading institution, one that addresses the welfare of the entire police staff, and prioritises the security of Nigerians.
With the Nigeria Police suffering afflictions from misadventures of the past, we could only hope our choice of leadership for the institution will reflect the needs of time based on competence, pedigree, exposure and mental and intellectual strength. May Nigeria Police succeed.
Mr Jimoh Rabiu is public commentator, Journalist, and an academic, and he writes from Gombe State.