AIG Paul Odama in a public address to the police officers. Image: via people's Gazette.
Paul Odama, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Zone 16 Headquarters, Yenagoa, has , on his state tour, cautioned Bayelsa residents and officers of the police against illegal extortions and any forms of corruption.AIG Warns policemen
AIG, also during the Tuesday public address, highlighted that all corrupt practices and bribery are unprofessional. AIG Paul Odama
He said there would be no room for illegal conducts if the officers would uphold dignity in discharge of their assigned duties and public-bound obligations.
Speaking at the State command headquarters, Yenegoa’s capital, AIG Paul said, “Then, there is a problem of extortion. If the police were doing their job there would be no bribery and corruption in Nigeria, because that is our mandate.”
He reminded the officers of their obligations, pointing out that as officers of the law “We have the right to arrest” and “we have the right to apprehend, detect, to prosecute” the police force is
The AIG also blamed the officers for poor attitude to service and urged them to keep a clean record and be good exemplars of law-abiding enforcers of public obedience to the Nigerian constitutional rules and regulations.
“If the police are doing their job, there will be no problem of corruption in Nigeria,” he said. AIG Paul Odama
“And before we can arrest anybody who is corrupt, we must also have to clean ourselves because he who goes to equity must go with clean hands. So we must be mindful of that.” AIG Warns policemen
Nigerian Senior Police Officers will tolerate no form of corruption and will dismiss and punish any officer found with misconduct, according to Odama. “I know your CP has been talking to you about it, and the top management team has zero tolerance for corruption. Make sure you take care of yourselves,” he explained.
“There are many consequences. Any police officer who improperly conducts himself will be disciplined. It ranges from reprimand, even to dismissal. So there are consequences for any police officer that disregards any disciplinary measures.”
One of the top officers also, at the occasion, was the commissioner of police, Bayelsa state command, CP Aloyenu Idu, who commended AIG’s effort to encourage the officers, giving them the desired confidence to face their challenges in promoting social peace and unity. (4)
Aloyenu expressed his concerns over the officers’ “operational environment” major challenges to be acknowledged.
He noted that “this domain is very unique and challenging” and again that the “Bayelsa State Command is still squatting in a defunct party secretariat” which may have acted as a clog in the “smooth administrative running and operational deployment of the men” in the state.
The CP said that IG Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police, in his resolve to improve the welfare of police officers, has recently ensured that officers receive their salaries at the appropriate time. (3)
Then, in conclusion of his address, AIG Paul Odama, supervising Bayelsa and Rivers States command, advised the officers to be mentally and physically prepared any time to act according to their responsibilities in enforcing law and obedience to promote peace and social unity. AIG Warns policemen
