The Senate refused to listen to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG, Habila Joshak who represented the IGP in spite of the fact that the Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abu Ibrahim, APC, Katsina South, had informed the lawmakers that the DIG would stand in for the IGP
The Senate has asked Mr. Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector General of Police to appear at the red chamber next Wednesday over the ongoing troubles of their colleague, Mr. Dino Melaye, APC Kogi West with the law enforcement agency as well as the killings going on in various parts of the country.
Idris was supposed to appear before the Senate yesterday.
But the police chief said could not honor the invitation because he accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari to Bauchi state.
The Senate, however, described the failure of the IGP to honor their invitation as disrespectful.
The Senate refused to listen to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG, Habila Joshak who represented the IGP in spite of the fact that the Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abu Ibrahim, APC, Katsina South, had informed the lawmakers that the DIG would stand in for the IGP.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki said while rounding off the debate on the discussion, “Distinguished colleagues, we have taken the contributions and the general consensus is that we give a specific date, Wednesday, May 2, 2018, for the IG of Police to appear.
‘’But as we do that, I take a cue from the comments of the leader which I have strong views on. The dignity and integrity of our democratic authority, we must protect it and we must not allow anybody to show any disrespect or desecrate that authority.
“As I said to you the other day, and I’m sure Senator Abu Ibrahim will confirm, neither Senator Abu Ibrahim nor myself have received any response from the IG of Police in the last 48 hours.
“Sending his DIG here today is not respectful enough. He should have had the respect of this institution to reach the chairman or myself to explain.
“We have all been chief executives. If Mr. President is going to Bauchi to commission a project, he is only accompanying the President. If he had said to Mr. President, with the killings that are going on it is important that I go to parliament, I am very sure that Mr. President will say, IG that is more important, go to the parliament.
“This is the point we are making about those who are appointed, who are creating more problems.
“Someone said to me, if a former Minister suspended by the President breaks into the council chambers at the Villa and does some kind of mischief, will the IG of Police not feel the need to report to the President on what actions had been taken?”
“This cannot be the kind of democratic setting we expect. As you have rightly said, we must ensure that things are done properly. We give him until Wednesday, 11 am to come here to explain to us what is happening in this country regarding these killings, what do we need to do collectively to bring an end to these killings; what challenges are there; and why are we having these issues?
“I don’t think there is anything more important today than these issues. So, let us wait till when he comes on Wednesday to address that so that we can find a way forward on this matter.”
In their reactions, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, PDP, Abia North, said, “By Wednesday, the IGP must appear before the Senate.”
Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, Deputy Senate Minority leader, said, “This is not a military regime, this is a democracy. We do not treat each arm of Government as independent as we should in a democracy. This is why we are where we are today.”
Senator Godswill Akpabio also said, “The IGP should brief us in a joint session. There are other issues outside of Senator Dino’s arrest that the IGP has to brief us on as well.”
“The IG will not accompany Mr. President to come here. The IG of Police is ignoring Summons,” Senator Sam Egwu, PDP, Ebonyi said.