On Friday, 9th of December, 2016, I was at the Force Headquarters, Abuja to attend the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day put together by United Nations of Youth Network Nigeria (UNOY) and Network for Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIM).
When the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris was addressing the audience, what interest me in his speech was and I quote, “We declare our assets every year at the United Nations. I declared my assets 8 times because I spent 8 years at the United Nations before coming back to Nigeria.”
The same Friday, 9th of December, 2016, the Code of Conduct Bureau hailed the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris among others, for his asset declaration, which been certified to be accurate and within the time frame.
It will be recalled that “Pursuant to paragraph 11 of Part 1 of the 5th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), every public officer is required to submit to the CCB a written declaration of all his properties, assets and liabilities and those of his/her spouse (if not a public officer) and his unmarried children under the age of eighteen years.
“Any statement in such declaration that is found to be false by any authority or person authorized in that behalf to verify it shall be deemed to be a breach of this Code.
For those who do not know about the cool and calm Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, led a contingent of Nigerian Police Officers to United Nations Mission in Liberia on 1st February 2004. He was the person that established the first MOPOL unit in Liberia which is still existence to date and he was later seconded by the Nigerian Government to the United Nations in March 2005, where he served as Mission Police Operation Coordinator from February 2004 to October 2008, and was later deployed from there as the Deputy Police Commissioner in-charge of Operations in United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor Leste (UNMIT), from October 2008 to March 2011.
He was the Director, International Peace Keeping Office at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters from 11th April 2011 to 6th July 2011, and served as Commissioner of Police Kano State Command from 7th July 2011 to 16th February 2013. After his course in NIPSS, IGP Ibrahim Idris was posted to Nasarawa State as the Commissioner of Police from February 2014 to September 2014. From there he was posted to Nigeria Police Force Headquarters as the Commissioner of Police, Police Mobile Force in September 2014.
The UN Secretary General appointed IGP Ibrahim Idris as a Police Commissioner in UNAMID, in Darfur. This was the 1st time a Nigerian Police officer was clinching a B2 position for any UN Mission in the world. However, the offer was declined to enable him contribute his quarter in ensuring peace and stability immediately during and after the 2015 General elections. He was later transferred to Kano State command in 2015 where he conducted the National elections held in 2015.
Under the United Nations, IGP Ibrahim Idris attended a seminar on re-organization and reforms of Formed Police Units (FPU) under the United Nations, at the Centre for Excellence for Stability Police Forces (COESPU) in Vicenza, Italy in 2004. He also attended the UN Senior Leadership Induction Course and UN Leadership Course at the UN Headquarters in New York in February and September 2009 respectively. He further attended Civil-Military Coordination in Disaster Management Course organized by the United States Military Pacific Command and United Nations in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2010.
He has severally served as visiting lecturer on “Roles of Police on United Nations Peace Keeping Operations” in Nigerian Defense College in 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively. He was a Mentor to African Union/United Nations Senior Leadership Seminar in Douala, Cameroun 2010 and African Union/ECOWAS Senior Leadership Course held in Nigerian Defense College Abuja in 2012.
IGP Ibrahim Idris has received many Commendations and Awards in the course of his career, including the Nigerian Inspector General of Police Commendation Award for his performance as Commandant, PMF Training College, Gwoza in 2004, the Special Representative of the Secretary General Commendation Award for Planning, Execution and Coordination of Security for the Liberian National Elections in 2005 and the Special Representative of the Secretary General’s Award for coordinating major operations in Timor Leste in 2011. He also bagged two Outstanding Leadership Awards by two United Nations Missions, namely United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor Leste (UNMIT) in 2006 and 2009 respectively for his outstanding performance as Operations Coordinator in UNMIL and Deputy Police Commissioner in charge of Operations in UNMIT respectively.
In March 2011, the President of Democratic Republic of Timor Leste, Dr Jose Ramos Horta (Nobel Lauret) awarded IGP Ibrahim Idris the Country’s highest National Medal, the “Medal of Merit”, for his contribution to the Security and Stability of Timor Leste. He served for over seven years in the United Nations.
With the commendation coming to IGP Ibrahim Idris from the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Nigeria Police has keyed into the Change Agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari which is the best for the Police as it is no longer as business as usual in the Force.
Written by Adewole Kehinde, a Journalist and public affairs analyst based in Abuja. [email protected]
