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By Christopher Oji
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Idowu Owohunwa, yesterday, read the riot act against corrupt practices on 1,362 newly promoted junior police officers.
The CP, who read the riot act during the decoration of the officers, warned against corruption, human rights abuse and other unethical conducts, stressing that anyone found guilty of crimes would be punished or face outright dismissal where necessary.
“You must show responsibility, you must justify your new rank. How do you do this? You must learn first and foremost to detest from any act of corruption. As you are aware, I have made it clear, if you are involved in corruption, if you are involved in acts of gross incivility to the members of the public, my understanding is that you are not fit to remain within the police family.
“For me, I will process such an officer through the disciplinary procedures and certainly, I will not be a party in keeping you within the system,” he warned.
The Commissioner, who was joined in decorating the officers by some senior officers of the command, said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) effected the promotion as part of his manpower development policy targeted at promoting deserving police officers on the basis of competence, qualification, and length of service.
Owohunwa said the Lagos Command had such a large number of officers promoted after his passionate appeal to the IGP on the peculiarities of the state.
“We are celebrating the I-G for considering Lagos State Command’s request for promotion to deserving officers. He approved the promotion of 1,363 junior ranking officers for Lagos Command alone. This comprises 1,123 sergeants, who will be promoted to Inspectors, 20 Corporals, who will be promoted to Sergeants and 220 Constables, who will be promoted to the rank of Corporals.
“The I-G has not just stopped there, as I’m talking now, Inspectors are being interviewed at the Zonal headquarters, Onikan, preparatory for their being promoted to the next rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police for those that would be found worthy,” he said.
Owohunwa noted that in the Force, nothing was appreciated more than promotion of an officer.
“If you deny an officer, if you delay the officer’s promotion, nothing can be more demotivating. So, for the I-G to appreciate this fact, and for him to also consider Lagos State as part of the key beneficiary of this exercise, I wish to, on behalf of the Lagos Command, appreciate him,” he said.
The CP assured the I-G that the promotion will inspire the officers and men not to let him down. The police boss urged the promoted officers to live up to expectations in their new ranks as they were expected to carry out higher and dangerous duties.
The Police High Command, on May 30, announced the promotion of 31,465 policemen with 24,991 sergeants promoted to inspectors, 194 promoted from corporal to sergeant, and 6,280 from constable to corporal, respectively.
