By Mumini Abdulkareem
Dean Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Prof Lanre Yusuf Badmas last night condemned the posting of a new Commissioner of Police to Kwara State, Kayode Egbedokun less than two weeks to the forthcoming presidential and governorship elections.
According to Prof Badmas, the development is very unfortunate and signals a politicisation of the police command in the country.
He therefore charged the new CP to look beyond his appointment and those that facilitated it, adding that the new police chief will render account to Almighty Allah at the end of the day.
Badmas however advised President Muhammadu Buhari to take charge of his government instead of allowing ministers to take decisions on his behalf.
Recall that top members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) including the wife of the President, Aisha had openly criticised the existence of a cabal that is controlling the government.
Most of the decisions of the Federal Government concerning Kwara State are reportedly influenced by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a Tinubu’s lackey and former aide.
Speaking on the development last night in a telephone chat with our reporter, Badmas, who is on Sabbatical from the University of Ilorin to Al-Hikmah, said the action of the police is unbecoming of a government that was elected to protect the people.
“What I want to say is that this posting is unbecoming of a government that was elected to protect the people. The police establishment is a national institution saddled with the responsibility to serve the state and its citizens and not to be used as instrument of oppression for political reasons.
“This development is very embarrassing because Kwara State is a state of peace and harmony. The new CP, despite his appointment, should come to the state with the fear of Allah and not that of human being and remember that history will either judge him right or wrong.
“If Kwarans can’t ask him about his actions, then God will ask him about it on the Day of Judgment. I want to ask him to approach his assignment as a professional and God fearing person.
“If what we are hearing is true that the new CP was the former CSO to Tinubu, then this is very unfortunate.
“We call on the president to be in charge of the nation and his government and not leave the running to some ministers” (who have been making inflammatory utterances about the state), he added.
The new CP, Kayode Egbedokun is about the fourth CP deployed to Kwara State in less than six months and is a former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He was announced as police commissioner for Lagos state in the dying days of the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
His deployment was however halted at the last minute due to what was considered as high wire politics and criticism of his known relationship with the APC national leader.
His posting less than two weeks to the general election has been described by some political parties in the state as an attempt by the Federal Government to undermine the polls in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Details of the approval and deployment are contained in a statement released in Abuja on Tuesday by the Commission’s Spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani.
