Absenteeism: Dambazau queries IGP

By Bode Olagoke
Abuja

Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdurahman Dambazau, has expressed concern over the continued absence of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, since he assumed office as the minister.
Nigerian Police Force has been asked to merge with the Ministry of Interior by the federal government to cut costs.

But since the new minister resumed the IGP had not shown up at all the public functions of the ministry.
The minister, who was shocked again at Arase’s absence, when the Nigerian Legion visited him, asked in surprise immediately he entered his conference room for the commencement of the event that “where are the police and Civil Defence, I have not seen the police?”

The minister, however, said the Legion was “so lucky because police will pay three times the amount of money I will pay.”
Sources at the ministry also expressed concern over what they described as “total disregard to the minister.”

One of them, who asked not to be named in print for obvious reasons, said: “We have also observed the IGP’s continued absence at minister’s functions. When others heads of agencies will come, the IGP has been sending representatives since the minister assumed duties.”
The visiting national chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Col. Micah Gaya, said the Legion had a duty to support widows and children of the fallen heroes.
According to him, the Legion is supporting its members who are in IDPs in the North-east.

Responding, Dambazau, who decorated by the legion’s chairman, said the ministry would do everything to support the legion
He said: “We have a lot to do for our fallen heroes. They paid the supreme price and almost all of them left behind somebody. So, imagine if you were in their shoes. I think there is nothing too big or too small to give to them in appreciation.”