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For the second time in a week, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Wednesday failed to appear before the Senate over the alleged inhuman treatment meted out to Senator Dino Melaye as well as killings across the country.
Although the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Joshak Habila, waited at the office of the Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, to represent his boss, lawmakers refused him entry into the chamber, insisting that Idris must appear personally.
In his submission, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Abu Ibrahim, disclosed that he made several attempts to reach the IGP but to no avail.
In his contribution, Deputy Senate Majority Leader, Bala Ibn N’Allah, suggested that a delegation led by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, should visit President Muhammadu Buhari to register their displeasure on the non-appearance of the police boss before the upper legislative chamber.
He described his absence as an affront on the legislature.
The development is likely to escalate the rift between the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and President Muhammadu Buhari. It would be recalled that the IG had last week asked Habila to represent him at the Senate, while he accompanied Buhari to Bauchi State on a two-day official visit.
Lawmakers, however, rejected the police boss’ representative.
Speaking on the development, Saraki mandated the Senate Majority Leader, Ahmad Lawan and Abu Ibrahim to engage with the Executive on the matter and report back on one week.
While urging for calm, the Senate President expressed concern that the police boss is setting a bad precedent for his successors.
His words: “I want us to approach this matter because being the upper chamber at times like this, we must show maturity statesmanship. I don’t think anybody who is being around enough to observe the practice of our democracy, knows that this action cannot be right. We are not a Senate in committee, we are a Senate in plenary. Under constitutional powers requires the IG to come and give a report on an incident involving a colleague and more importantly, on the incessant killings that happen in the country. And he felt that he would not come but want to delegate a junior to come to appear before us.
“In my own recollection, I don’t think that any IG has ever refused to appear before the Senate since we have been practising democracy. And I don’t think that this has ever happened before. But we must all know that these actions endanger to our democracy. He is doing this but we cannot say it is just to us because the President told us that he told him to go to Benue and he refused to go. And he’s still there.
“So, I want to appeal to our colleagues. Let us approach this in two ways. One way, give him another period of time for him to reflect on the enormity of the action. Because whatever happens today, this sets a precedent for the future. And as such, it is important that we do not allow issues like this. We must ensure that the right thing is done. Give him time to ensure that he is well guided. Because his immediate boss, the Vice President, is a SAN and former Attorney General who knows the right thing. And I’m sure he will not condone this, neither will the President.
“I know in issues like this, there is great disrespect to the institution but let the (Senate Majority) Leader and the Chairman of Police Affairs (Abu Ibrahim) should engage with the Executive and state our position on this. There are powers that we can exercise which is not in the interest of us making progress in this country.
“In this year alone, over 500 people have been killed. And if we believe that such issues, a man who is in charge of enforcing law and order, should not sit down and engage with us that have the powers to represent the people, then there’s something wrong somewhere.
“So, let us hold and give time for reflection on that; to mandate within a week to look into that. And come back to us. And I am sure that wisdom will prevail. So, I will like us to please hold our comments until then. And I’m pretty confident that the right thing and sanity will prevail. This is a country that will lead an example to other countries. And I don’t think that we want to go so low by this kind of action”.
