Edwin Clarke, Writes Buhari, Faults Re-appointment Of Former IGP, Abba As Chairman Police Trust Fund

By Ayodele Oni

Ijaw Leader and a former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clarke, has faulted some last-minute appointments by President Mohammadu Buhari  “meant to compensate some of his cronies.”

Clarke specifically condemned the re-appointment of sacked Inspector-General of Police, (IGP), Suleiman Abba as the Chairman, of the Police Trust Fund.

According to the leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, (PANDEF), the re-appointment of Abba as Chairman of the Police Trust Fund, appears a continuous compensation or reward for a job well done for the roles he allegedly played during the 2015 general elections.

In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and made available to journalists in Abuja, Clarke, who urged Buhari to re-examine his actions as he winds up his tenure, stressed that Nigerians cannot also forget in a jiffy, the disloyal action of Suleiman Abba, when as IGP, he went to the airport to receive Muhammadu Buhari, without the knowledge and or authorisation of his principal, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who was the sitting President at the time, and which led to his sack from the Police Force.

The Elder statesman asked what would President Buhari be remembered for, and what legacy he wants to leave after his eight years as a civilian president.

“Is it that of compensating people with appointments, most times the juicier ones, for aiding and executing wrong acts, such as the re-appointment of Abba?

He also noted that the appointment runs foul of the principle of federal character.

“Federal character principle is a doctrine which was introduced by the Nigerian government to ensure equitable representation and as well prevent the dominance of persons from a few states, religion or particular ethnic group in the governance of the country and the sphere of the public sector.

“In any heterogenous society, laws are put in place to ensure that all groups and facets, have a sense of belonging. Nigeria is not an exception, thus leaders and framers of the laws of the land, enacted rules for our cohabitation as a people.

“Federal character principle is a doctrine which was introduced by the Nigerian government to ensure equitable representation and as well prevent the dominance of persons from a few states, religion or particular ethnic group in the governance of the country and the sphere of the public sector.

“It is pertinent to state that the prerogative of ensuring that this aspect of the laws of the land is implemented and or executed lies squarely on the shoulders of the President of the country, presently, Muhammadu Buhari.

“However, it is quite disturbing that the same man who swore to uphold the laws of the land is flagrantly breaching them. A case in point is the recent re-appointment of Suleiman Abba as Chairman, Board of Trustees, Nigeria Police Trust Fund, on 5th May 2023.

“Suleiman Abba is from Jigawa State, in the North Western geo-political zone the previous Secretary of the Fund, Mr. Abdullahi Bala is from Sokoto State, also from the North Western geo-political zone.

“The previous Secretary who resigned his post to contest a gubernatorial election is also from Sokoto State, the northern part of the country.

“One expected that if the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the police fund is from the northern part of the country, the Secretary should come from the South and vice versa because this is one of the ways of keeping Nigeria’s unity.”