THE current Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, officially reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 on September 4, 2024.
However, President Bola Tinubu has told the IGP Egbetokun to remain in office. The presidency approached the Senate leadership to amend the Police Act 2020 so as to extend the tenure of the IGP from September 4, 2024 to October 31, 2027. The Senate leadership didn’t reject the request of the presidency to extend the tenure of IGP Egbetokun.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also tried to extend his tenure beyond eight years when he was in power by approaching the Senate leadership at that particular time for third term, but the Senate leadership rejected the request.
Public officers who have attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 are expected to retire. Let’s give a chance to other people to serve Nigeria. A Yoruba adage says: “Eni to ifa ko to si lo maa n pe ni haram,” meaning, “It is he who doesn’t have the opportunity of getting juicy position that goes round to condemn the beneficiary.”
For me, I can’t blame the IGP for staying in office. It is not every amendment request from the presidency that the Senate leadership should grant.
I want to use this medium to tell the Senate leadership in Nigeria to stop further tenure extension for all public office holders. Anyone who has reached the constitutionally stipulated time to spend in office should be allowed to retire. Nigeria belongs to all of us.
Jimoh Mumin, Ibadan
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