Indications emerged yesterday that President Umaru Musa Yar’adua may have finally zeroed down on the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) E Department (Training), Uba Ringim and Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Border Patrol, Hafiz Ringim as likely successor to the outgoing Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro, who retires this week.

Sunday Trust gathered from a source at the Presidency that some couple of months ago the Presidency had constituted a high- powered security panel to screen a number of candidates eyeing to be the country’s number one cop and the panel has submitted its report to the president.
The president’s latest decision, it was gathered, was informed by the recommendations of the screening panel. Coincidentally the two top police officers hail from Jigawa State. Okiro retires from the Force on July 24th 2009, having attained the mandatory retirement age of 60.
Uba Ringim was born in 1955 and obtained a Bachelors degree in Education.

He joined the Police Force on August 1st 1979. He is an indigene of Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Hafiz Ringim, on the other hand was enlisted into the force on March 1st 1977. He was born on April 1st 1953 and holds an Advanced Diploma in Administration. He hails from the same local with DIG Ringim.   

Other candidates screened by the panel are the DIG “A” Department (Administration and Finance), Ogbonna Onovo (Enugu); DIG “D” Department (Investigation), Israel Ajao (Osun); DIG “B” Department (Operations), John Hamza Amadu (Taraba) and AIG Zone 2 Lagos, M. D. Abubakar (Zamfara).

Onovo, born on February 2nd 1953, hails from Nkanu Local Government Area of Enugu State and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. He was enlisted into the police force on August 1st 1977. Amadu, who was born on April 1st 1955, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and joined the force on December 12th 1981. He is an indigene of Takum Local Government Area in Taraba State while Ajao hails from Iwo Local Government Area in Osun State and was born on May 7th 1954. He holds a degree in Law and History and was enlisted into the force on August 1st 1977

The source said the presidency had to constitute the panel because all the IGP’s hopefuls were said to have impressive service records and sound character. One of the Ringims was reportedly said to have been rated higher by the panel, followed by John Hamza Amadu among the DIGs that attended the screening process. Either of the two, according to the source, will become succeed Okiro, if the presidency settles on the DIG cadre.

If Yar’adua decides to choose from the AIG Cadre, then either Hafiz Ringim or M. D. Mohammed would clinch the top job. Abubakar, born on May 5th 1958, hails from Gusau Local Government of Zamfara State. He was enlisted into the force on July 3rd 1979 and holds a Diploma in Administration and Criminology.

According to the panel report, whether the next IGP is picked from the DIG or AIG cadre, it is very likely that the next country’s next police chief will emerged from the North, a development that has so far stated generating controversy.

The president has been empowered by the 1999 Constitution to appoint any suitable candidate from the serving police officers irrespective of rank for the position of the Inspector General of Police. The president will thereafter send his nominee to the Nigeria Police Commission (NPC) for endorsement.

Already President Yar’adua has been severally accused of making appointments favourable to the North, an allegation the presidency has also denied severally. There have been media campaigns by various interests across the country on who replace the outgoing IGP.

The presidency was said to be considering a transparent, objective and experienced officer for the job capable of implementing the present administration reforms going on in the Force. The presidential nominee, our source said, will soon be sent to the NPC and later the National Assembly for confirmation.