Nigerian government decorates Alkali as new Inspector General of Police, due for retirement in 2023

The Nigerian Government on Wednesday decorated Usman Alkali as the Acting Inspector General of Police, saying he was appointed because he was the most senior among those qualified to hold the position.

Penpushing reports that, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo conducted the official decoration, which paved way for Alkali to take over from the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu

The Vice President explained that the selection of Alkali followed due process which is a departure from the past when the selection of the new Inspector General of Police often meant the immediate retirement of a cohort of senior police officers whose vast experience and training would no longer be available to the country.

“Your selection by Mr President follows a rigorous process where all eligible Deputy Inspectors-General of Police and Assistant Inspectors-General of police were considered. The president then appointed you as the most senior qualified and eligible officer,”,he explained

Penpushing further reports that Osinbajo said, this appointment, which is largely on the basis of seniority and competence, will ensure that Alkali  have access to professional and experienced officers to support him in his new role.

The Vice President noted that, Alkali is assuming office at a very turbulent time in the life of the citizens as well as multiple threats to law, order and public safety, emphasizing that, the role of law enforcement and particularly that of the police force as primary agency charged with maintaining law and order has never been more important.

‘The police is our institution of first resort, the first line of defence against crime and anarchy and the first sign of the strength of the state. The role of law enforcement and particularly that of the police force as primary agency charged with maintaining law and order has never been more important’, he stated

‘The challenges before you are indeed onerous and will test your mettle, the organisation you are leading is one that is itself facing several challenges. Your officers work still in extremely difficult conditions. And some face the threat of physical harm by terrorists, hostile non-state actors while in the line of duty but they have lived up to expectations’, Osinbajo said.

‘Last year, Mr President signed the new police act, the first police reform legislation to be enacted in almost 50 years. The Act is the centrepiece of our commitment to reinventing the police as an institution that we can all be proud of. It articulates this administration’s vision of the modern competent police force as an institution committed to the preservation of human rights and human dignity and protection of the public against all criminal threats’.

‘There is no question at all that there is a lot that needs to be done. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. Under your leadership. The police must now rebuild in some ways also the broken bridges of trust to the public and regain the confidence of the citizenry’.

‘This is an ongoing challenge, it is an ongoing task that the police force and all of the senior members of the police force must take on as a responsibility, that of the continual process of building trust to the Nigerian people’.

‘One of the ways you can do this is by implementing the community policing policy which had already taken off and reconceptualizing policing as a task carried out in partnership with local communities and by officers who are members of these localities’.

‘Under your leadership, the force must live up to all of the highest standards of professional conduct and compliance with the rule of law. It must significantly improve the welfare and working conditions of its officers while rapidly scaling on its forensic, logistical, logistical and operational capacities’.

‘To meet today’s challenges. You must stamp out the excesses and abuses and the culture of impunity, demonstrated by some elements of the force which provoke public outrage against institution’.

‘In short, your mission is nothing less than the restoration of dignity and high repute of the policing professional and the continuous oiling of that machinery of the police force that enables it to be one that is respected by the populace and by the international community’.

‘The testimony of your pedigree and your career thus far is that you are up to the task.The administration stands ready to work with you to reposition the NPF and take it to unprecedented height of professionalism, competence and excellence’.

‘I, therefore, welcome you as a key partner to this administration’s comprehensive programme of reform aimed at repositioning the Nigeria Police Force as a modern, responsive and citizen-centred law enforcement service’.

‘We all expect that you will justify the confidence that Mr President has repose to you, enable you to lead the force in these times. I congratulate you once more on behalf of Mr President, and his cabinet. I wish you all the very best in your tenure. Thank you’

Penpushing reports that, Alkali was born on March 1, 1963 in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State, and got enlisted in the Nigeria Police .,on March 15, 1988.holds a Teachers’ Grade II Certificate from Teachers College, Potiskum.

The Acting Inspector General of Police  obtained a Bachelor of Arts (ED) degree in Political Science from the University of Maiduguri and a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from Bayero University, Kano.

Penpushing further reports that,until his appointment as the acting Inspector General of Police on Tuesday, he had held several positions in various commands of the force, which include serving as Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Yola, Gombe, Kaduna and Jos.

The new police boss also served in Ilorin, Kwara State as Area Commander, second-in-command in Ebonyi State and Assistant Commissioner, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in Kaduna.

Penpushing reports that, he also served in Kaduna as the Deputy Commissioner (administration) and in Federal Capital Territory(FCT) as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigation), and equall in the staff college as a directing staff.

The new Inspector General of Police  became a commissioner of police in January 2014 and Assistant Inspector General in July 2016, and was commissioner of police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Delta State and subsequently served as the Assistant Inspector Genera in charge of Zone 5 Benin, Zone 4 Makurdi and Zone 7, Abuja.

Penpushing also reports that, he had  attended peace keeping operations outside the country, and  was promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector General in November 2020 and was in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) until his appointment.

The police chieftain had acted as Deputy Inspector General  in charge of Finance and Administration and at some point served as Force secretary, and had attended several professional courses.

Penpushing further reports that, Alkali  is a member of Course 22/2014 of the National Defence College (NDC) Abuja and also a fellow of International War College, while he is due  for retirement in 2023.

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