Aleke Aleke in Abuja
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has decorated Assistant Inspector-General of Police Martins Nwogoh and 28 other newly promoted senior officers with their new ranks at an elaborate ceremony held at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Peacekeeping Hall, beside the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking at the decoration ceremony for two Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, 10 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and 17 Commissioners of Police, the IGP stressed that promotion was not a reward to be enjoyed without responsibility, but rather an indication of greater responsibilities to be discharged.
He noted that higher ranks came with greater accountability, adding that the Force and the Nigerian people would hold the newly promoted officers accountable.
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He also gave the decorated officers a nine-day ultimatum to submit written work plans for the commands, departments and formations under their charge for his approval and monitoring.
He said, “Today, I give you three charges. My first charge is integrity. There must be zero tolerance for corruption, abuse of office and indiscipline, beginning with yourself. Do not demand standards you are unwilling to demonstrate. You must demonstrate those standards yourself. Do not preach discipline while practising indiscipline. Your subordinates will see in you the best of the Force.
“My second charge is the welfare and mentorship of officers. Take mentorship seriously. After all, all of us have had good mentors while we were growing. Identify, encourage and develop younger officers under your command.
“Treat them like members of your family. Look after the welfare of the men and women who serve under you, because an officer who is neglected cannot be expected to serve with honour.
“The true measure of your leadership will not be only what you achieve during your tenure, but the quality of officers you leave behind.
“My third charge is public trust. As we reposition the Force into a professional, accountable, intelligence-led and people-oriented institution, you will be active drivers of that change. Everyone is looking at you as a leader. Trust is not built in speeches. It is built at the counter, on the road and in the community, through fairness, respect for human rights and a prompt response to the needs of the people. After all, they say the definition of policing is the protection of human rights.”
Disu added, “I will not leave these charges as mere words. Within nine days, each of you will submit to me a written plan for the commands, departments and formations under your charge. Because the set-up here, and every target on integrity, welfare and public trust, ties to your specific mandate, I will review every plan and follow it up.”
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the decoration ceremony, the former Commissioner of Police in charge of the Nigeria Police Force Air Wing, AIG Martins Nwogoh, described his elevation to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police as a dream come true.
Expressing gratitude to God for the achievement, AIG Nwogoh said, “I’m very grateful to God for keeping me alive to be here today to celebrate this. Our service records reveal that, out of the 280 of us who were enlisted into the Force in 1992, about 50 have died. Therefore, I consider it a privilege to be here today.”
He said the promotion presented another opportunity for him to give his best in the service of his fatherland.
